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More Ghanaian youth to acquire employable skills – Dr Bawumia
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Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has described the successful training of thousands of Ghanaian youth under the first phase of the Youth Employment Agency’s Skills Training Programme as concrete evidence of the NPP Government’s commitment to providing opportunities for the youth to acquire employable skills for life.
The training of these 10,000 young people in Carpentry, Beauty Care, Hairdressing, Plumbing, Auto Mechanics, Plaster of Paris (POP), Painting, Steel Works and Welding, and Glazing (Glass Works) – who received allowances during their training and have also received start-up equipment – comes on the heels of the recent training of thousands of ladies under the Kayayei Empowerment programme, as well as formal training under the Free Technical Vocational Training (FTVET) and digital training offered by facilities such as the Accra Digital Centre.
Speaking at the passing out ceremony of the 10,000 YEA-trained artisans at Techiman in the Bono East Region on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 Dr Bawumia reiterated the NPP Government’s appreciation of the key role played by the youth in national development, and envisioned the creation of even more training and job opportunities under the ongoing digitalization agenda.
“Some few years ago, I was privileged to be the Guest Speaker at Legon when YEA first launched the Job Centre together with the Artisan Directory, a skill development program designed to build the capacity of artisans and to train new ones to meet current global requirements of the artisanal industry,” he said.
According to him, “Today, I am happy to be part of this ceremony not because I was present at the birth of this Great initiative in October, 2019 but largely because of the anticipated socio- economic and cyclical impact of these new artisans to the growth and development of Ghana, the Ecowas Sub Region, Africa and the world as a whole.”
“This pool of talented artisans in rows before us this morning, presents varying opportunities for us to expand and develop the sector for the growth of our nation. Ladies and Gentlemen, the artisanal industry is the oldest livelihood job in Ghana for centuries and still remains the powerful Economic engine to absorb more people seeking sustainable job opportunities,” he emphasized.
“Barely three months ago, I joined YEA in a Grand event in Accra to launch the Kayayei Empowerment programme in Madina. I am happy to state that thousands of young women through that Programme have graduated with various skilled jobs in Detergent and Soap Making, Beading and Jewelry, Makeup Artistry, Pedicure and Manicure, Baking and Decoration. More Kayayei are currently undergoing training in Madina and Ashaiman and would soon be graduating into the world of work,” he announced.
Dr Bawumia commended the leadership of the Youth Employment Programme for being abreast with the changing dynamics of the work environment, setting up a Job Centre to link applicants with jobs and creating a soon-to-be launched App to provide the location and contact of the 10,000 graduates across the country to make accessing their services easier.
According to him,“Since we assumed office in 2017, the NPP Government had in the priority of things embarked on the digitalization agenda to cover some if not all key sectors of the economy. Indeed, leveraging on the technological potentials of Ghana in the digital marketing space, YEA is gradually becoming digitally inclined and had taken several steps forward in providing innovative solutions to the modern-day problems affecting the artisanal landscape in Ghana.”
“YEA has been very instrumental in the Agenda for Jobs of the NPP Government through roll outs of traditional modules, entrepreneurial modules and artisanal modules. The YEA Job Centre also connects job seekers to employers online and had facilitated the recruitment of thousands of young men and women into the private sector and NGO jobs in the country. Today, YEA has broadened its partnership with the private sector under the Business and Employment Assistant Programme and has provided human resource assistance to many certified small and medium scale enterprises across the country,” he said.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the Presidential Candidate of the NPP for the 2024 elections, challenged the fresh graduates to continually seek knowledge and further skills, saying “Your training comes with a prize- a prize of distinguishing yourselves as credible Artisans not only in molding products and providing services to your clients but credibility which hinges on character, hard work and transparency in your career journey.
He said, “As you transition into the world of work, never feel secured and technically efficient because you have been certified to work as an Aluminum Fabricator or Carpenter but aspire to take opportunities to build your capacities.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the YEA, Kofi Baah Agyapong, commended the newly-trained youth for their dedication and perseverance, especially those from under-privileged backgrounds, and charged them to be role models worth emulating.
“I am highly elated to see so many happy faces here today, given where many of you have come from and the challenges you have faced. I urge you to grab this opportunity to be outstanding citizens with both hands and run with it. Being the first batch, I ask that you practice your newly-acquired skills in a manner that would encourage Ghanaians to patronize your services and attract many more youth to acquire employable skills,” he concluded.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has become the new leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after delegates approved a constitutional amendment making the party’s flagbearer its leader.
The amendment was approved on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
The decision makes Dr Bawumia the leader of the NPP as the party prepares for the 2028 general elections, having earlier been elected as its presidential candidate.
The change was contained in one of 14 constitutional amendments presented to delegates by the party’s Constitution Amendment Committee.
The amendments were approved through a voice vote, with delegates responding in favour of the motions.
The latest amendment reverses a provision approved at the party’s January 31, 2026 conference, which made the National Chairman the leader of the party at all material times.
The approved amendment provides for the flagbearer to assume the leadership of the party when the NPP wins an election and the flagbearer becomes President.
The amendment also reinstates the President as a member of the National Executive Committee when the party is in government.
The Chairman of the NPP Constitution Amendment Committee, Frank Davies, explained that the amendments were necessary to address gaps identified in the party’s previous constitutional review.
The constitutional amendments formed the first part of the conference before delegates proceeded to elect new national executives.
A total of 7,163 delegates from all 16 regions participated in the conference, with voting conducted at 31 polling stations for nine national executive positions.
The Electoral Commission supervised the elections and verified delegates.
Other approved amendments include changes to the election of Vice Chairpersons, allowing candidates to contest specific Vice Chairperson positions instead of being ranked according to the number of votes they receive.
Delegates approved the appointment of three additional Vice Chairpersons, the creation of Deputy Communications Officer positions and the elevation of the Information Technology Officer to an executive position.
Addressing delegates after the constitutional amendments and as the party prepared for the national executive elections, Dr Bawumia called for unity and peaceful voting.
He urged the 47 aspirants contesting nine national positions to accept the outcome of the elections and continue working together for the party.
“Let us vote in peace, accept the results in good faith and leave Kumasi as one family,” he told the delegates.
Dr Bawumia congratulated all the aspirants for putting themselves forward to serve the party and urged those who won to reach out to their fellow contestants.
He assured those who lost that the party would still need their experience and contribution.
The NPP flagbearer further reflected on the party’s reorganisation since the December 2024 general elections, saying the party had listened to its grassroots members and learnt lessons about its organisation, communication and engagement with supporters.
He noted that the party had elected its structures from the polling station to the regional level and had also begun preparations towards its next programme for government.
Dr Bawumia said his early election as the party’s presidential candidate had allowed him and the party to begin work on policy development ahead of the 2028 campaign.
He said various policy committees had been established and engagements with different groups and stakeholders were ongoing.
Turning to national issues, Dr Bawumia used his address to criticise the government over what he described as failures to fulfil several campaign promises.
He specifically questioned the progress of the NDC government’s proposed 24-hour economy, the women’s development bank, electricity tariffs, the cost of transportation and other economic challenges facing households and businesses.
On the economy, he defended the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, arguing that the programme introduced under the previous NPP administration had contributed to stability in the Ghanaian currency.
Dr Bawumia further criticised the government over the stalled implementation of projects including Agenda 111 and raised concerns about the management of the Free Senior High School programme.
He addressed recent drug seizures involving consignments traced to Ghana, calling for a bipartisan parliamentary committee to investigate how such shipments were able to leave the country.
On the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, he accused the government of failing to deliver on its promises to tackle the problem and restore polluted water bodies.
He criticised the government over promises relating to cocoa prices, teacher and nurse postings, the teacher licensure examination and payments to customers of collapsed financial institutions.
These claims formed part of Dr Bawumia’s political assessment of the NDC government’s performance and were presented by him as reasons why the NPP should return to government.
He accused the government of what he described as the “weaponization of state power” and alleged that different standards of justice were being applied to government supporters and opposition figures.
Dr Bawumia said the NPP would, if returned to power, pursue what he described as one standard of justice for all citizens regardless of political affiliation.
He ended his address by urging the incoming national executives to build a strong party organisation, focus on holding the government to account and communicate the party’s policies to Ghanaians.
The NPP’s new leadership structure and national executive team will now oversee the party’s reorganisation and preparations towards the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Newly elected National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, has pledged to work to ensure peace, unity and respect within the party as it prepares for the 2028 general elections.
Mr Glover said he would work to strengthen the party and help actualise the vision of its flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, becoming President of Ghana in 2028.
He made the remarks in his victory speech at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi after winning the NPP National Organiser position at the party’s National Delegates Conference on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Mr Glover polled 2,964 votes to win the election, defeating his closest contender, Ali Maiga Halidu, who obtained 2,231 votes.
Emmanuel Korsi Bodja polled 145 votes in the contest.
Mr Glover thanked delegates for electing him and promised to work hard to justify the confidence they had placed in him.
“I will work very hard. What I’ll bring is peace, unity, respect, and that we use for governance,” he said.
He explained that peace, unity and respect were necessary for the party to effectively organise and prepare for the elections.
“If you are doing governance and you don’t bring peace and unity and respect, the work will be hard,” he added.
Mr Glover acknowledged the task ahead of the newly elected national executives, describing it as a major responsibility that would require commitment from members.
“The job is big. There’s a lot of work ahead of us. We need love. We need peace. We need unity,” he said.
He urged members of the NPP to remain united and work together beyond the internal elections.
According to him, his focus would be to contribute to the party’s efforts to win the 2028 general elections, with Dr Bawumia’s presidential bid forming a central part of that objective.
“Dr Bawumia has to become the President of this country. That’s the vision for NPP, that we have to work hard for Dr Bawumia to become the President of the Republic,” Mr Glover stated.
He said he was determined to use his new position to contribute to the development of the NPP and Ghana.
Mr Glover’s election forms part of the new national executive team elected by delegates at the conference to lead the affairs of the party.
The newly elected executives are expected to oversee the party’s reorganisation and strengthen its structures as the NPP prepares for the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
