Editorial
Creation of youth employment in wake of COVID-19: Laudable initiative
In the wake of COVID-19 where many businesses in the country have collapsed leading to loss of jobs, it is refreshing to know that there is still hope for the Ghanaian youth, especially women.
An initiative by the government to create employment and income generating opportunities for 39,000 young people by 2022 is laudable as reports say that the COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse effects on businesses.
This initiative, by the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) in collaboration with the MasterCard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Project, a Canadian non-profit organisation was launched recently in Accra by the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo to address the issue of unemployment in the country.
It is hoped that the three-year project, dubbed, “Creating Dignified and Sustainable Work for Ghana’s Young People”, which is aligned with the government’s Ghana Beyond Aid agenda would help improve entrepreneurship, provide jobs for young people and also boost businesses in the country to improve the economy.
With a growing population, unemployment has been a great concern in the country. In a recent survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in partnership with the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) and World Bank with technical support from the Innovation for Poverty Action (IPA)), it was revealed that about 115,000 businesses in the country had either permanently or temporarily closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has also affected the world.
The survey stated that more than 45,000 workers lost their jobs during the partial lockdown and those who were hit most were from the accommodation and food sectors. It is obvious that without any interventions the economy will suffer as about 770,000 workers of businesses had their wages reduced with 30,000 of businesses closed down permanently and 85,000 yet to determine what to do.
The intervention, therefore, would offer hope to the Ghanaian graduate youth, especially women and school dropouts nationwide between the ages of 18 and 35.
The agricultural sector is an area which is very lucrative and it is worth noting that the project targets the agri/agro-business, health, manufacturing, transport and education sectors among others under the Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Programme (YEEP).
With youth unemployment, the country’s security is threatened. The Spectator urges the youth not to allow this opportunity to pass by but to log onto the website, HYPERLINK “https://nbssi.gh/youngafricaworks”https://nbssi.gh/youngafricaworksas more women would be trained in the coming months and provided with start-up kits and other equipment to start their own businesses.
As it was noted, the project had three components, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship (ICE), Apprentice to Entrepreneurship (A2E) and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Business Acceleration which would help the youth (who form 57 percent of Ghana’s population), to unearth their talents, create jobs for them to live fulfilling lives and thereby grow the economy.
As these efforts progresses, we remind the youth to make good use of social media platforms to market their products globally, as in this era of COVID-19 there is the need for entrepreneurs to explore innovative ways to reach out to customers.
We commend the government for giving hope to the youth and further urge it to introduce more interventions to cushion Ghanaians.
The private sector, international agencies and well-meaning individuals should also intervene to help create more job opportunities for the youth, women, the less privileged and People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) to rid the streets of beggars.
The creation of youth employment in the wake of COVID-19 is a laudable initiative.
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, this saying becomes worrying when the health of citizens is threatened by the conditions under which the food they consume daily is sold.
In Ghana, the conditions under which food is sold is quite disturbing. Over the years, I have observed that the environments where food is prepared and sold are often unhygienic.
In many cases, containers holding food such as rice and waakye are left uncovered or not properly covered, exposing them to contamination.
While many Ghanaians paid little attention in the past to the conditions under which food was sold, the narrative seems to be changing in recent years.
I recall an incident during my days in Senior High School (S.H.S.) when my friends and I went out to buy food. At one location, some of us chose not to buy because we assumed the food would be expensive due to how neat the place looked.
Unfortunately, we ended up purchasing food from a different place that was somewhat unhygienic. We overlooked the poor conditions because we believed the quantity offered was better than at the cleaner location.
However, I am certain that my friends and I would not repeat such a mistake today, as we now understand the health implications of that decision.
While public education is important in addressing this issue, I believe it is time for regulatory and law enforcement agencies, such as the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), to crack the whip on food sellers and vendors who operate in unhygienic environments and conditions.
As citizens, we must also be mindful of where we buy our food to protect ourselves and our families from diseases and illnesses. We should choose ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ and prioritize our health.
From Syram
Oyarifa
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern and call for improved security measures before and after every football match.
The recent robbery attack that led to the tragic death of a player, on their return from a Match day 29 game against Samartex, is both shocking and heartbreaking.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m., highlights the growing risks faced by players and team officials while traveling.
Football is meant to unite and entertain, not to expose lives to danger. It is therefore imperative that authorities, the Ghana Football Association, and security agencies put in place adequate protection for teams, especially during late-night travels.
I strongly urge all stakeholders to treat this matter with urgency to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring.
From Eugene Ampiaw
Accra
