President John Dramani Mahama has announced key initiatives aimed at transforming Ghana’s agriculture, tackling youth unemployment, and strengthening governance.
Speaking during his 2025 State of the Nation Address, he emphasized the need to reduce food imports, create jobs, and fight corruption.
Mr. Mahama revealed that Ghana spends over $300 million annually on poultry imports and announced the ‘Nkoko Nkitinkiti Project’, which will cover 55,000 households to boost local poultry production and reduce reliance on imports.
On fisheries, President Mahama pledged to curb illegal fishing, expand subsidized premix fuel distribution, and invest in modern landing sites and cold storage facilities revealing, “Aquaculture development is a key focus of our administration,” he said, promising financial and technical support for young fish farmers.”
With youth unemployment estimated at two million, Mr. Mahama described it as a “major security risk” and announced the creation of the Ministry for Youth Development and Empowerment to streamline job programs.
“The youth development and interior ministries will facilitate the training of Okada riders,” he said, adding that the government will introduce electric motorcycles on a hire-purchase scheme to cut fuel costs.
He reaffirmed his commitment to tackling corruption with the Operation Recover All the Loots Policy (ORAL), disclosing that an investigation had uncovered over 80,000 ghost names in the National Service Scheme, costing the state GHS 50 million monthly.
“I have directed that the culprits be declared wanted and their assets frozen until investigations are completed,” he announced.
To reform the National Service Scheme, Mr. Mahama pledged to introduce short military training to instill discipline among service personnel.
He promised support for vulnerable groups through the Empowerment for Women and People with Disabilities Program, which will provide financial aid and capacity-building opportunities.
He also assured Ghanaians that his administration would prioritize digital growth and job creation stating “The Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation will spearhead efforts to expand Ghana’s digital economy and foster innovation.”
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Source: Comfort Sweety Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
