Member of Parliament for Takoradi constituency in the Western Region, Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah is calling for urgent investment in the health, skills and empowerment of young people, describing them as the future leaders on who the future of Ghana’s development rest.
Commenting on a statement in Parliament to mark World Population Day, the Takoradi MP said “without health there can never be wealth,” and stressed that supporting young people now is as important as planning for the future.
He cited global examples of young leaders and entrepreneurs who achieved greatness early, noting that “the present also matters.”
The MP said vocational education is a key area where Ghana can see immediate benefits.
He urged government to boldly support young people who choose vocational and technical training as a path for lifelong learning and livelihoods, and to provide them with productive assets and the skills to manage and market their products.
He further emphasized the need to build creativity, ideas and financial literacy from the basic school level.
According to him, many Ghanaians only learn financial literacy later in life, when they should be taught it at school age to prepare them for the 21st century economy.
The Takoradi MP also highlighted entrepreneurship as critical, saying young people must be given the skills to be persistent, to have grit, and to succeed.
“If you empower people and don’t give them the skills to succeed in life, it will be very difficult for our population to survive the next millennium,” he warned.
The MP said parents have a major role to play as the “first pillar” in training children.
He urged parents to take responsibility for instilling basic life principles at home, so that children can go to school, undertake apprenticeships, and still succeed.
He added that communities must also come together to support families in this task.
He concluded that while the state cannot deliver everything alone, families and communities have a major stake in ensuring the country meets its health and development goals.
He called for a collective effort to equip young people with health, skills, and values for national growth.
By Prosper Kwaku Selassy Agbitor
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