The Member of Parliament for Krachi Nchumuru, Solomon Kuyon, has gingered Parliament to advocate for the urgent creation of a National Youth Development Fund.
Addressing the House, Hon. Kuyon emphasized that Ghana’s greatest resource lies in its youthful population—energetic, ambitious, and innovative young people whose potential remains largely untapped due to lack of accessible financial support.
In a statement made on the floor on Monday, 9th March 2026, Hon. Kuyon highlighted that Ghana’s youth—from fishing communities along the Volta Lake in his constituency to tech hubs in Accra—are ready and eager to build the nation’s future. However, their ambitions are often constrained by a critical barrier: limited access to patient, empowering, and affordable financing.
A Call for a Long-Term Solution
Hon. Kuyon stressed that current youth empowerment initiatives are often temporary and lack the sustainability needed to foster long-term growth. “We have a generation of talent being held back by a structural gap in our development architecture,” he said. “It’s time for a bold, permanent solution: a dedicated, professionally managed, and politically independent National Youth Development Fund.”
The proposed fund would be established through an Act of Parliament and operate as a national endowment, insulated from political cycles and guided by a governance structure that inspires confidence among private sector partners and development allies. Its primary mission: to bridge the gap between youthful ambition and economic opportunity.
Three Pillars of Youth Empowerment
Hon. Kuyon outlined a strategic framework for the fund, centered on three core pillars:
- Seed Capital for Youth Start-Ups: Micro-grants and concessionary loans to young entrepreneurs (ages 18-35) to kick-start their businesses—be it in agriculture, trade, or technology. This would democratize access to capital, enabling young Ghanaians to take their first steps toward self-reliance.
- Scale-Up Financing for Growth: Venture capital and growth loans for promising youth-led SMEs with proven viability, aiming to expand successful ventures and create more employment opportunities.
- Skills and Innovation Grants: Support for vocational training, apprenticeships, and the establishment of innovation hubs across Ghana’s regions—ensuring skills training aligns with the demands of the 21st-century economy.
A Non-Partisan, Collective Effort
Hon. Kuyon emphasized that youth unemployment is a national challenge that transcends political parties. He called for a bipartisan working group to draft legislation that will establish the fund, suggesting innovative funding mechanisms such as levies on extractive industries, contributions from international partners, and private sector investments.
A Message to Ghana’s Youth
Concluding his speech, Hon. Kuyon addressed the youth directly, affirming that they are not the leaders of tomorrow but the leaders of today. “Your success is intertwined with Ghana’s future. Investing in you is the greatest economic decision we can make,” he said. “Let us unite to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and resilient Ghana.”
The proposal has garnered widespread support from across the political spectrum, with many seeing it as a transformative step toward harnessing Ghana’s demographic dividend and fostering sustainable development.
As the ninth Parliament considers this historic initiative, the hope is that Ghana will soon have a dedicated mechanism to empower its youth and unlock their full potential—driving the nation toward a future of inclusive growth and prosperity.
