The Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, Mr George Opare Addo, yesterday launched a national digital system designed to transform, identify, support, and empower the youth in the country.
The initiative includes the YouthXplore App and National Youth Tracker Platform, and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)-AgTractive Campaign.
The two tools are expected to strengthen coordination among agencies, expand equitable access to opportunities, and position young Ghanaians to participate meaningfully in skills development, entrepreneurship, and agribusiness.
Launching the tools in Accra, Mr Addo said the launch was a defining step in restructuring the youth development landscape to ensure fairness, transparency, and real outcomes.
He said the new system was a response to the urgent realities of youth unemployment, which stood at 22.5 per cent, with young women disproportionately affected.
The Minister stressed that the challenge had never been “a lack of talent but rather a fragmented system” that failed to track who received support and where opportunities existed.
The National Youth Tracker Platform which he described as the “nerve centre” of the new architecture, integrates data and programmes from key youth agencies and partner ministries.
“It incorporates analytical tools that interpret labour market trends, highlight emerging skills gaps, and guide investment to where it will have the greatest impact,” the minister explained.
The YouthXplore App, Mr Addo said was a national access point where the youth could build personalised profiles showcasing their skills, experiences, ambitions, and potential.
He explained that the app would match users with vacancies, apprenticeships, scholarships, training, entrepreneurship support, and national service opportunities, while guiding young people on how to close qualification gaps.
“Built on inclusive design, YouthXplore ensures full accessibility for differently abled youth through features such as voice navigation, sign language video support, and screen reader compatibility,” he noted.
In practical terms, the Minister explained that district officers would be able to identify youth with specific skills or interests and proactively link them to available opportunities.
Touching on the AgTractive Campaign, he said it was the country’s contribution to the continental Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future or Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) initiative, aimed at encouraging youth participation in agrifood systems.
Mr Opare Addo commended AGRA for its funding and technical support in developing both the Youth Tracker and the AgTractive Campaign, adding that the campaign seeks to rebrand agriculture as a modern, technology-driven, and profitable sector.
He urged all agencies, development partners, and the private sector to take full advantage of the digital tools to expand opportunities for the youth.
The Country Director of AGRA Ghana, Dr Betty Annan, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to expanding opportunities for the Ghanaians youth.
She said agriculture remains a powerful vehicle for job creation, citing international studies showing that every dollar invested in sustainable agriculture yields up to 16 dollars in returns.
Dr Annan added that agricultural-led growth was up to three times more effective in reducing poverty compared to other sectors.
The Country Director outlined AGRA’s five-year youth-focused YEFFA programme, implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation across 10 African countries, which supports young innovators in agriculture and agribusiness.
She expressed confidence that the Tracker and AgTractive Campaign would allow AGRA to reach more young people across the country.
BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
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