President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extoled Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his industrious attitude leading to the smooth implementation of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) programme.

Speaking at the passing out of 100,000 youth under the programme aimed at reducing unemployment rate in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo commended the Office of the Vice President for its “invaluable contribution” to formulating the programme.

Describing Dr. Bawumia as “brilliant”, a highly and visibly elated Akufo-Addo said: "I cannot conclude these brief remarks without paying tribute to the invaluable contribution by my brilliant Vice President (Alhaji) Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and his team whose dedication and leadership from the time of conception through to implementation has led us to this point.”

Touching on the programme, President Akufo-Addo, who was at the passing out with Dr. Bawumia on Wednesday in Accra, stated he was very optimistic it will succeed contrary to what the cynics perceive.

According to him, the NABCO programme represents the beginning of “the process of banishing the spectre of desperation, and restoring hope and dignity to our youth.”

He added that the trainees “are going to assist in the realisation of Government’s vision of an educated population, an industrialised, robust and well-manged economy, the delivery of good governance, and, for the sustenance of all these, a reliable, skilled and efficient workforce.”

“Within three years, NABCO trainees would have obtained 36 weeks of solid training and value addition to enable them transition smoothly into the world of permanent work. By this, we would have also addressed the very issue that keeps our graduates out of the labour market, in spite of their educational qualifications,” he pointed out.

The selected 100,000 recruits who graduated today after several weeks of rigorous training and capacity building in their various chosen modules are expected to exit the programme after three years.

About NaBCO

President Akufo-Addo in May this year launched the Nation Builders Corps in Kumasi as an initiative by the government to provide employment for 100,000 unemployed graduates.

The programme is initially intended to operate seven modules designed to meet the pressing needs of the nation, while providing jobs for the teeming youth who have received tertiary education but are struggling to find jobs.

The beneficiaries will be engaged for three years and they are expected to earn a monthly stipend of GH¢700 each. The modules under NABCO are Feed Ghana, Educate Ghana, Revenue Ghana, Heal Ghana, Enterprise Ghana, Digitise Ghana and Governance Ghana.