THE NATIONAL YOUTH AUTHORITY NOW WORKING

The National Youth Authority of Ghana has a very strategic role and task to perform in shaping the destiny of the youth of Ghana who would ultimately impact the development of our dear nation. As the future of Ghana, the National Youth Authority cannot afford to fail in meeting the expectations of the youth of Ghana. With the appointment of Mr Emmanuel Asigri as CEO, the natural and usual expectation was that of a partisan politically-infused leadership intended to serve a political interest. Unfortunately, that has not been the case under his leadership. Things have panned out differently to the awe and shock of a majority of people.
As critical as the mandate of the NYA is, it requires the vision, foresight and direction of a CEO who would commit wholeheartedly to this mandate no matter what. The NYA has gone through the leadership of some other Chief Executives who have played their part during their respective tenures.
However, the tenure of Emmanuel Asigri as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority so far has been phenomenal, promising and impressive. He has led so far with focus, commitment, dedication and foresight to make the Nation Youth Authority a destination of excellence as far as the activities of the Ghanaian youth are concerned.

Upon assumption of office as Chief Executive Mr Emmanuel Asigri saw the need to create a congenial working environment for the staff of the NYA. In this regard, he and his two able deputies placed some premium on outlook and setting of the NYA Head Office building by having it renovated and furnished. This undoubtedly offered some modicum of comfort and convenience to the staff to put in their best possible efforts to achieve results for the NYA on behalf of the youth of Ghana. It’s also a fact that the renovation of the office building added up to the branding and corporate image of the National Youth Authority.

Through his vision and ingenuity, the National Youth Authority formed a strategic partnership with mobile telecommunications giant MTN. This partnership has witnessed MTN's sponsorship of skills training for selected youth across all ten regions of Ghana in the areas of Digital Marketing , bead making, soap-making, and other related skill-empowerments all geared towards improving the livelihood opportunities of the youth to live decent and acceptable lives and to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of Mother Ghana.

Under the leadership of Mr Emmanuel Asigri, the National Youth Authority has been able to lobby and facilitate the successful formation, launching and operations of the Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs- West Africa (CAYE-WA). As CEO of the umbrella body of youth groups and their related activities, Mr Emmanuel Asigri, played a pivotal role in pushing for this great initiative to see the light of day. CAYE-WA serves as an opportunity for Ghanaian young entrepreneurs to network easily in promoting their business ideas as well as learning and knowing more about business opportunities elsewhere within the sub-region and beyond.

The dynamic and versatile CEO of the National Youth Authority is currently leading the charge for the review and facilitation of a National Youth Policy document to reflect the needs, aspirations and expectations of the youth of Ghana. This has been necessitated by the lifespan of the current youth policy launched in 2010 without an implementation plan. The ongoing consultative processes for a National Youth Policy have been wide, involving, engaging and encompassing. It’s the view of Mr Emmanuel Asigri to produce a youth policy that would as much as possible and practicable capture and attend to most of the issues that concern and affect the youth of Ghana. Such deep is the vision that Mr Emmanuel Asigri has in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority.

Mr Emmanuel Asigri's tenure so far has also witnessed the successful launching of the YouthConnekt. YouthConnekt is an initiative being scaled up by the United Nations Development Programme in Africa after a successful implementation in Rwanda. The initiative seeks to create multiple opportunities for the youth to participate meaningfully in the socio-economic and political development of their countries. The physical and virtual platform of YouthConnekt is based on the interest of the Ghanaian youth and will link-up the various youth innovations and creatively in areas such as ICT, Entrepreneurship, Agri-Business, and Civic Engagement among several others. The deployment of YouthConnekt Ghana is as a result of collaborations between the National Youth Authority and the United Nations Development Programme.

“It is my hope that the success of YouthConnekt in Ghana will help reduce unemployment among the youth, promote active citizenship, inspire and prepare the youth to be positive change makers”. This has been made possible through the instrumentality of Mr Emmanuel Asigri.

It is worthy of note that there is an aura of positivity surrounding the work of the National Youth Authority under Mr Emmanuel Asigri. This has seen the National Youth Authority assume its rightful place as the key duty bearer of youth development and empowerment in Ghana. With his performance so far, Mr Emmanuel Asigri deserves the support and cooperation of all stakeholders to enable him deliver more for the youth of Ghana. And that is why we at the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs pledges our unflinching support for Him and His two able deputies.