Mahama promises to decouple sports from youth ministry

The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has unveiled plans to overhaul the Youth and Sports Ministry, aiming to better cater to the needs of Ghana's young population.

Speaking at the launch of the NDC's National Youth Wing Secretariat and Campaign on March 29, 2024, Mr Mahama underscored the necessity for a more holistic approach to youth development.

The proposed restructuring will prioritise youth engagement across various sectors of the economy, moving beyond the predominant focus on football.

Mr Mahama envisions a revamped ministry with a dedicated youth development service aimed at generating employment opportunities and supporting his 24-hour economy initiative, which seeks to drive continuous economic growth and job creation.

Mr Mahama emphasised, "We are going to separate youth and sports because it’s a youth and sports ministry but over the years, what we do is that the concentration is on sports and even on sports, the concentration is on Black Stars at the expense of any other sports".

"So, I’m going to set up a service for youth development. It will focus primarily on youth status in all sectors of the economy. It will focus on mainstreaming youth interest in all sectors of the economy. Most of all, we will concentrate on bringing on strategies that will create jobs for young people, and this Ministry will support the 24-hour economy."