According to the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the administration is trying to expand the nearly two million jobs already generated for the young.
"I am glad to say that we created over two million jobs for the youth in the past six years, excluding what we created under the Planting for Food and Jobs Act and the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), which were stop-gap measures," he said. "This is despite the challenges of COVID-19 and the ongoing global economic crisis."
Dr. Bawumia added that the free senior high school (SHS) policy and a rise in the number of students accessing higher education had set the nation up for an unparalleled jump in literacy.
He characterized the former as encouraging and warm since, in his opinion, studies had demonstrated a clear correlation between a nation's degree of growth and advancement and its citizenry's literacy rate.
Easter prayers
Dr. Bawumia said the free SHS policy was responsible for the surge in enrollment in SHS, which went from 800,000 pupils six years ago to 1.4 million students last Saturday at this year's Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at the Black Star Square in Accra.
He said that the roughly 75% rise in enrollment coincided with a nearly equal ratio of enrollment for boys and girls, which had previously been heavily weighted in favor of boys.
The Vice-President said, "The Koreans did it, Singapore did it, the Arabs did it, and Ghana will do it. It is vital and non-negotiable for the growth of the country to educate and equip the youth with the requisite skills. It's feasible.
He praised the young people for their tenacity, inventiveness, and optimistic outlook while advising them to use the government's policies and programmes, particularly digital innovation, to promote their enterprises.
Dr. Bawumia believed that a country's digital economy constituted its present and its future, and that since it had taken proactive measures, it was ahead of many of its contemporaries on the continent in this regard.
Inclusiveness
According to the vice president, Islam promoted inclusivity at all social levels, and the government was motivated by this spirit. As a result, "we have over the past six years been introducing inclusive policies that embrace all and bear fruit for the collective development of our people."
He listed a few government initiatives, saying they were excellent illustrations of inclusive policies, such as the introduction of property address and mobile money interoperability, the issuance of national identity cards, and other initiatives.
"One of our inclusive development policies has also been the establishment of special development agencies, which includes the establishment of the Zongo Development Fund as a special development vehicle for Zongo development," Dr. Bawumia continued.
Tribute
The Vice President also announced the 104th birthday of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, which occurred last Sunday. The Vice President attended the occasion in a bus with his wife, Samira Bawumia, ministers of state, and other government officials.
He said that Sheikh Sharubutu's life had been a wonderful benefit to the country and to humanity, amid cheers and cries of Allahu Akbar (God is magnificent). "Personally, the Chief Imam has been a guide and an inspiration," he remarked.
Indeed, God has given us all the gift of mallam. "I'd want to wish him a happy birthday and many more years of excellent health." The best homage we can all give to our father, according to Dr. Bawumia, is to endeavor to emulate him, he stated.
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