The UN system in Ghana organized its third edition of the youth impact series on the theme: “Expanding the Youth Innovation Space”. Co-hosted by UNFPA and UNDP, and moderated by Emmanuel Kwesi Afriyie, a broadcast journalist with Metro TV, the series is fast becoming one of the biggest youth events in the midst of COVID-19 in Ghana.
Dr. Gordon Kwesi Adomdza, the founding lead of the Ashesi Development Lab, from Ashesi University in Ghana, shared the example of Ashesi where mandatorily, all first-year students admitted to the university are introduced to entrepreneurship. This he said, helps them to explore problems and come out with potential solutions. Dr. Adomdza believes that through basic research, people in academia or universities can develop new technologies that have the potential to be commercialized. He therefore stressed the need that it is empirical for industries to provide internship opportunities for students as this will contribute to expanding the innovative space of young people.
Ms. Zulaiha Dohia Adbullah, an auditor by profession and co-founder of Divaloper in northern Ghana, shared her experiences and said there is the need to provide young people with multiple skills to enable them become and remain innovative. Ms. Adbullah believes that each individual (especially women) should have access to tools and opportunities that will help them in their chosen careers. This will help make Ghana an innovation hub and achieve goal nine (9) of the SDGs, come 2030. She attributes the slow pace of youth innovation in Ghana and particularly in the northern regions to the low participation of young women who are rather mostly prepared for marriage instead of preparing to be in the innovation space. To be able to expand the innovation space of young people in Ghana, Ms. Adbullah advised young people not to be risk averse.
The young panelist further encouraged Government, as a matter of revolution, investment in infrastructure and innovation because they are crucial drivers of economic growth and development. “I am committed to helping in this revolution of using technology one community at a time to bring about this change. I challenge my colleague innovators and all entrepreneurs to aspire to mentor the youth on how to create a vocation they are passionate about so that together we can make this continent a greener pasture for ourselves in future because we are capable” Ms. Adbullah concluded.
Other speakers at the virtual session include, Mr. Oliver Boakye – a special advisor to the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) who touched on the policy perspective, Mr. Joshua Opoku Agyemang, the President of Internet of Things Hub and Ms. Cheneywa Okoro Onu, founder of Waste or Create Hub who also shared their experiences.
Over 200 people majority being the youth, people from academia, CSOs, and governmental bodies, participated in this UN Youth Impact Series (YIS) edition.
Yawa Tigoe
Reporter, Voxpopulee
Gender and Youth Activist
