By Eugene Nyarko Jnr.
Accra, June 4, 2026 — The President of the Ghana Youth Federation, Sherif Ghali, has called for increased investment in youth entrepreneurship and broader public awareness of the government’s Adwumawura Programme, describing it as a critical intervention in addressing youth unemployment in the country.
Speaking during a press interview at the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE) forum dubbed “The Adwumawura Dialogue: A Private Sector Engagement on Youth Funding in Ghana” held at the Stanbic Incubator at Silver Star Towers in Accra, Mr. Ghali said the dialogue was organised to gather direct feedback from young people on the implementation of the programme.
According to him, the initiative was necessary because public funds are being invested in supporting young entrepreneurs through the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), making it important for beneficiaries and young citizens to have a voice in assessing its effectiveness.
“The government has committed significant resources to support young entrepreneurs through Adwumawura and NEIP. As an organisation representing young people, we felt it was important to bring them together to tell us what they think about the programme, the challenges they have faced and the improvements they would like to see,” he said.
Mr. Ghali explained that the forum was designed as a non-partisan platform where participants could openly discuss their experiences and recommendations regarding the programme. The views gathered, he noted, would be compiled into a position paper to be presented to the President and implementing agencies.
He stressed that youth engagement in national programmes should go beyond representation on committees and advisory boards.
“I do not want to sit on ministerial advisory boards and speak on behalf of young people without listening to them. I want to hear directly from them so that when I engage policymakers, I can accurately convey what the youth themselves are saying,” he stated.
The Youth Federation President argued that youth development should be treated as a national priority alongside health and education.
“If we get health, education and youth development right, many of the country’s economic challenges will naturally fall into place,” he said.
Mr. Ghali called on government to significantly increase support for the Adwumawura Programme, noting that youth unemployment remains a major concern despite ongoing economic recovery efforts.
“Youth unemployment is still a challenge and frustration among young people is mounting. We need to move faster in creating opportunities for them. One of the quickest ways is to support entrepreneurship and provide funding for young people who want to create their own jobs,” he said.
As part of broader reforms, he proposed the transformation of NEIP from a programme into a statutory Youth Entrepreneurship Development Agency with a clear legal mandate to drive entrepreneurship development nationwide.
According to him, granting the institution legal backing would ensure continuity and sustainability regardless of changes in government.
Mr. Ghali revealed that under the first cohort of the Adwumawura Programme, approximately 10,000 young people received entrepreneurship training over a five-week period, while 3,000 entrepreneurs were eventually selected and provided with funding support.
Having served on the grant management committee, he expressed confidence in the integrity of the selection process.
“I can confidently say that 3,000 young entrepreneurs were selected and funded after rigorous assessments. We travelled across the country to verify businesses and engage applicants. The process was not conducted from Accra alone,” he said.
Addressing concerns that the programme could be politically influenced, Mr. Ghali maintained that the implementation of the first cohort was conducted fairly and without partisan interference.
“Throughout the selection and funding process, no politician called us to influence decisions or provide lists of preferred beneficiaries. Based on my experience, the programme was implemented in a non-partisan manner,” he stated.
He therefore encouraged all eligible young Ghanaians to apply for future cohorts rather than dismissing the initiative as politically motivated.
“If cohort two is implemented the same way as cohort one, every young Ghanaian should apply. Do not assume it is politically driven. Apply and see what happens,” he advised.
Mr. Ghali further identified inadequate public sensitisation as one of the major challenges facing the programme. While acknowledging efforts made by government and NEIP, he said many young people, particularly in rural communities, remain unaware of the opportunities available under Adwumawura.
He called for stronger collaboration between government and private sector organisations such as the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs, the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Association of Ghana Industries to help expand awareness and encourage participation.
“Government programmes require aggressive sensitisation. Many young people are only hearing about Adwumawura today. We need stronger partnerships between government and the private sector to ensure that information reaches every corner of the country,” he said.
Mr. Ghali disclosed that the dialogue forms part of a broader initiative to engage young people on government programmes targeted at youth development, including the National Apprenticeship Programme.
He said the chamber intends to expand the engagement nationwide to ensure that the voices of young people are reflected in policies and programmes financed with public resources.
