Mahama Administration Accelerates Social Protection and Youth Empowerment Programs to Safeguard National Stability

The administration of President John Mahama has intensified its social intervention and youth empowerment efforts, with a significant focus on poverty alleviation as a cornerstone for national security. The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, recently announced that over 70% of households currently under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme have significantly improved their living conditions and incomes. This progress is expected to result in the graduation of approximately 350,000 households from the scheme, allowing the government to enroll 400,000 new vulnerable families to ensure broader coverage and economic stability across the country.

During an extensive monitoring tour of the Northern and North East regions, Dr. Lartey visited Savelugu, Kumbungu, and the Gambaga Alleged Witches Camp to oversee the latest LEAP enrolment exercises. She emphasized that the government's "Reset Agenda" prioritizes accurate targeting and data updates to ensure support reaches the most deserving households. By engaging with traditional authorities and local government executives, the Minister underscored the necessity of community-level collaboration to ensure that the social safety net effectively transitions families from dependency to self-sufficiency.

Parallel to these social protection measures, the government is addressing youth unemployment as a critical security imperative. A study conducted by Catholic Relief Services and the National Peace Council highlighted that 86% of respondents in northern Ghana identify youth unemployment as the primary driver of violent extremism. In response, Malik Basintale, CEO of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), reaffirmed the agency's commitment to expanding opportunities, particularly in the Western North Region. Basintale noted that the YEA has already facilitated over 9,000 youth placements in sanitation modules and provided skills training to 30,000 individuals nationwide to mitigate the risks associated with social exclusion and radicalization.

Complementing these economic and social efforts, several initiatives are underway to foster leadership and civic responsibility among the youth. Osman Ayariga, CEO of the National Youth Authority (NYA), recently sought the blessings of the National Chief Imam for an upcoming National Youth Conference aimed at uniting young Ghanaians in national development. Furthermore, the European Union has bolstered these efforts through its Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Project, which recently graduated a cohort of young leaders trained in ethical governance. On the security front, WAANSA Ghana has restructured its technical leadership to better combat the proliferation of illicit small arms, calling for the passage of the National Small Arms Bill to further secure the nation’s peace.