‘Take advantage of opportunities abound in country’

The youth have been urged to take advantage of the opportunities abound in the country to turn around their fortunes, rather than risking their lives on unregulated migration for ‘greener pastures’.

Besides, if the youth were bent on travelling abroad they should research thoroughly into the benefits and the disadvantages of migration, before they embark upon it to prevent them from falling prey to human traffickers and exploitation.

The Director of Programmes and Operations at the National Youth Authority (NYA), Mr Mumuni Sulemana gave this advice at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)-Youth Advocates Ghana (YAG) Social Media Campaign Awards Ceremony in Accra on Wednesday.

It was organised by the IOM in partnership with YAG, a youth-based organisation.

The YAG recently carried out the Youth Voices for Voluntary National Review (VNR) campaign meant to engage Ghanaian youth on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The social media campaign was also aimed at highlighting Ghana’s VNR process and soliciting the voices, perspectives and experiences of young people on the SDGs.

According to Mr Sulemana, majority of the youth in the country researched into fields that would enable them to attain certificates and not what would help them transform the country.

He stated that, there was the need to encourage the youth to undertake research seriously adding that “they should act based on facts and figures to be relevant in the society”.

Mr Sulemana indicated that most youths migrated to other countries because they felt there were better opportunities in other countries than in Ghana saying, “As a country we have better systems that are working and preparing the youth to open vast opportunities for them.”

He said that irregular migration was a challenge to the economic growth of the country since the country depended on the labour force of the youth to ensure development in country.

“If they move away, our labour force will be affected and once it’s affected, our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be affected as well,” he stated.

Miss Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, Chief of Mission, IOM, said the country was at a critical moment on how progress had been made in achieving the sustainable development goals of which migration was included.

According to her, although migration was important, there were negative aspects of it which needed to be managed.

Miss Lopez-Ekra added that there was the need to discourage the youth from using illegal means to leave the country to other parts of the world in search of greener pastures.

In all, five winners of the social media campaign were presented with mobile phones, laptop, tablets and other prizes.

The awardees included Maame Ekua Fosuaa Fosu, a student of the University of Ghana, Legon; Ellen Lindsey Awuku, an environmental activist with Young Reporters for Environment Ghana; Francis Ametepey, of Knutsford University College, Accra; Musah Mohammed Hafiz of Empowered Youth Foundation of the University of Cape Coast and Samuel Abroquah of Think Agric, Takoradi-Shama.

BY ABEDUWAA LUCY APPIAH AND CEPHAS ADJEI KLU