Member of Parliament for the Ejisu constituency, John Ampontuah Kumah has advised that more opportunities should be given to the youth of the country in order to better prepare them to address the challenges of the future. He made this call in his maiden address to Parliament on Tuesday, February 2 2021.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the former National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) boss noted that the aspirations of young people in the country need to be at the core of the country’s political, social and economic developmental agenda such that more opportunities should be made available for them to harness their potential.

He said “it is not surprising to note that youth unemployment is an age-old issue in the country. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo in 2018 described the youth unemployment situation he inherited in his first term as a threat to our national security. It is important to note that post the partial lockdown and thanks to the numerous interventions by government, especially through the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme(CAP Buss) and with support from the private sector most of these lost jobs have been reclaimed and new ones have been added.

“However, we must not relent on the need to create more jobs and to establish the appropriate environment for businesses to be created and to survive. To achieve this we must chart a new path on job creation for the youth in Ghana built on the back of the private sector,” he added

According to the Ejisu legislator, the current economic hardship as a result of the novel coronavirus present the country with an opportunity to reset the button and include the youth in national development. He said given 57% of the country’s population fall within the youth bracket, giving them opportunities in the productive sector and allowing them the chance to showcase their creativity will go a long way to build the country.

However, he called on the youth to also take advantage of these opportunities and leverage on the opportunities available to them. He said “it is the hope and aspirations of every graduate to work in the public sector because of the job security it offers and the opportunity to serve the country. In as much as this aspiration is noble and must be encouraged, my plea to the teeming youth of this country who for one reason or the other cannot find jobs in the public sector is to look to the private sector or venture to create their businesses.

One means of leveraging on available opportunities in the country he said is through crowdfunding. According to him, crowdfunding provides businesses and entrepreneurs a means of raising funds from a large number of people to finance a new business venture or to expand operations.

Mr. Kumah said crowdfunding is an advanced form of “susu”, an informal savings club that if the country taps into it as a means of raising capital for small business owners and entrepreneurs, the problem of lack of capital that these small business owners and entrepreneurs face will be greatly reduced.

He also took the opportunity to announce the creation of “Ejisu Club 100” a project which seeks to create 100 entrepreneurs in the Ejisu constituency in the next four years. This he said will go a long way to create jobs for the people of Ejisu and provide opportunities for the youth of the constituency.