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We‘ve capacity to turn economy around—AGI President
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) says Ghanaian industrialists and entrepreneurs have the capacity, knowledge and expertise to produce to feed the country and turn the economy around.
To this end, the AGI has called on the government to develop deliberate policies to spur the growth of the industrial sector.
Speaking at the Virtual Forum on COVID-19 and the Vision of Ghana Beyond Aid, President of the AGI, Dr Yaw Adu Gyamfi said Ghanaian Industrialists and entrepreneurs could produce all the country needs with the needed support.
Accordingto the AGI President who spoke on the theme “COVID-19 and our march towards Ghana Beyond Aid: Turning adversity into opportunities,” it was Ghanaians who could help turn the economy around and not any other nationals.
“Germans build Germany, Nigerians will build Nigeria and it is Ghanaians who will build Ghana,” he said, adding that “even in time of adversity, we Ghanaian industrialists say we can if given the chance.”
He said the COVID-19 pandemic had demonstrated that Ghanaians could rise to the occasion if given the opportunity, saying “in spite of the COVID-19, and the lockdown, we were able to feed ourselves and the country never went hungry.”
Dr Gyamfi said the high cost of electricity, low investment in research and development and the inability of the country to link Information Communication Technology to industry were some of the challenges facing the industrial sector which comprised manufacturing, mining and oil and gas of the country.
The AGI President observed that the revival of the industry and the manufacturing sectors, would be hinged on pillars such as strong collaboration between industry and the universities for the local production of machinery needed by industry, value-addition to the country’s natural resources, adoption of ICT applications for manufacturing, and need for large markets.
To this end, Dr Gyamfi entreated the youth to develop applications to help industry improve their production processes.
“Industry needs ICT applications that will help improve productivity,” he challenged the youth.
Dr Gyamfi commended the government for the One District, One Factory and the Planting for Food and Jobs as well as the African Continental Free Trade Area initiatives, saying they were good programmes to propel the development of the country.
Touching on the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the adversity had taught the entire citizenry to become health conscious and the country to be self-reliant.
According to him, the number of people who reported to his health facility for treatment and medication for diabetes and other ailments had reduced.
That, Dr Gyamfi said was because people had resorted to good eating habits and better lifestyles as a result of the coronavirus disease.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
