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‘Transformation Africa Conference’: …youth advised to take advantage of entrepreneurial, leadership opportunities
Achamfour Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu delivering his address
Asanteman is keen on complementing state and non-state actors in reducing unemployment and ending poverty through the provision of employable skills and scholarships, the King of Asanteman, OtumfuoOsei Tutu II, has asserted.
According to him, youth unemployment remained a challenge which needed a collective effort in addressing it.
In addition, he said “though a daunting task, it is achievable nonetheless, if we all put our shoulders to the wheel by venturing into entrepreneurship and digitalisation where opportunities abound”.
The Asafohene and Head of Akwamu Division (Akwamuhene) of the Kumasi Traditional Council of the Ashanti Kingdom, AkyamfourAsafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, said these on behalf of OtumfuoOsei Tutu II at the launch of the 13th edition of the MTN Pulse Transformation Africa Conference and Africa Role Model Awards in Kumasi last Saturday.
Organised by the Young Professional and Youth Coalition (YPYC) on the theme “Future of our Youth: Job, Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Digitalisation,” the conference brought together academia, traditional leaders and entrepreneurs.
The purpose of the conference was to draw the attention of the youth, policymakers, government, local and global partners on prevailing developmental issues in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and finding solutions to them.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II bemoaned the low level of youth involvement in the formulation of policies that shape the future of the country and, therefore, called for the placement of the youth at the centre in that regard.
He added that “they must be educated to accept and take responsibility in their pursuit for greatness because at the end they cannot blame anybody for their failures”.
The youth were urged by the King of Asanteman to take advantage of leadership, entrepreneurial and career coaching skills while appealing to corporate institutions, individuals and philanthropists to sponsor such events.
The President of YPYC, Mr Andy Osei Okrah, in his address, noted that the future of the youth looked gloomy due to prevailing challenges.
He said the YPYC had made some observations which included the growth of laziness and search for quick fix among the youth, an increase in bet staking among university students, increase in negative sub-cultures and practices, development of negative leadership skills and corruption.
MrOkrah explained that the conference would help address the observations made by YPYC which would benefit the youth as well as the country positively.
The Commissioner of Police (COP) Kofi Boakye speaking to participants at the conference advised them to leverage on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to help create sustainable job opportunities.
The Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, won the award for the African Role Model Women in Executive Leadership.
A total of 13 personalities and organisations were awarded for the tremendous role they had played in various fields.
By Spectator Reporter
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
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