Election 2024: Mahama promises youth entrepreneurship and skills development

Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, is promising youth entrepreneurship and skills development if elected president in the December 7 polls.

This is contained in the party’s Youth Manifesto launched in Accra on Monday, 12 August 2024.

Among other initiatives, Mr. Mahama and the NDC have promised to initiate the "Adwumawura Programme" as a start-up engine to facilitate the creation, tracking, and mentoring of a minimum of 10,000 youth-established businesses annually.

They will also implement an expanded National Apprenticeship Programme, especially for young people, to include a Business Growth Apprenticeship Module, structured mentorship/apprenticeship links between established industries and business individuals, and TVET graduates with business ideas. Additionally, they will provide vocational training and start-up support for trainees in the informal TVET sector/artisans.

Furthermore, they will facilitate skills training programmes and provide start-up kits for artisans.

As part of the youth entrepreneurship and skills development, Mr. Mahama and the NDC will develop a Comprehensive Credit System specifically for youth entrepreneurs and develop a database of businesses run by young individuals to guarantee advisory services, create marketplaces, provide managerial support, offer partial credit guarantees, soft loans, grants, and tax incentives.

In addition, they will establish a Young Entrepreneurs Microcredit institution with a seed fund of GHS750 million to disburse affordable loans to young entrepreneurs.

“In partnership with the private sector, introduce a Youth Innovation and Industrial Parks (YIIP) initiative to scale up small to medium enterprises created by young people tailored to district-level economies and create co-working spaces and one-stop business start-up services.

Finally, the NDC says it will leverage a Youth-In-Export-Initiative to stimulate foreign demand for Ghanaian products produced by young people.