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Stakeholders urged to provide requisite platforms to support young green businesses
Relevant stakeholders focused on climate related issues have been advised to provide the necessary platform to support numerous wonderful ideas and innovations of young people in the climate space.
According to Dr Yaw Agyeman Boafo, a research fellow at the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, University of Ghana indicated that green business was the way to go in the quest to tackle climate change, hence attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
To him, investing in young people’s innovations was of essence because the youth were the future of the nation.
“They are the ones expected to be controlling the affairs of countries of the world or Sub-Saharan Africa in the coming years. And the youth with their energy can start the movement of driving green businesses all around us,”
he reiterated.
Dr Yaw Boafo made these appeal at the 3-day YouSustain Conference held from 6th to December 8, 2023 in Accra.
The Conference aimed at providing network and resource opportunity for young people involved in ecopreneural businesses created a platform for young people, developmental agencies, and researchers to have an intellectual discourse on how best young people could be supported to contribute to urban sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa through ecopreneurship.
Speaking to the media, Dr Boafo explained that it was time for stakeholders both in the government and private sector to give technical support to build young people’s capacity as well as financial support that would aid them to utilize the skills and knowledge acquired, hence turning their ideas into businesses that can survive and help address the multiple sustainable development challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa which Ghana is not an exception.
“Yes, the National Youth Policy and other youth related policies exist. However, the challenge the youth are facing is financial backing to practically implement their business ideas to help fight climate change”, he emphasized.
He was however hopeful that the conference would provide the needed platform to attract financial support for young ecopreneurs in the Sub-Sahara Region including Ghana.
Dr Boafo used the occasion to urge young people to continue to be dedicated, committed and should never give up on their eco-business.
“Young people should develop resilience, have the energy or the desire to keep working on what they believe in and should be willing to work with other people from different parts of the continent,”he admonished.
Elaborating more on the 3-day conference, the Conference Coordinator, Mr. Paul Dankwa explained it was to provide a networking and resource opportunity for young people involved in ecopreneural businesses to share knowledge and potentially collaborate for green business development; select viable ecopreneur ideas from the conference and provide them with incubation support and potential grants for their project implementation.
In addition, to create a platform for young people to showcase their green businesses, products, and services, and gain exposure and visibility for their work, hence exploring avenues for upscaling; and exploring how successful practices and solutions for sustainability in sub sahara,” he stated.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
