Dr Joshua Makubu, the Oti Regional Minister, has called on the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to identify and develop the potential of the youth in the region.
He said the move would enable the youth to be productively engaged and not undertake activities that could jeopardise their lives.
Dr Makubu during the 2022 Regional Annual General Meeting of the Eastern, Volta and Oti Branch of AGI, said the local economies must be strengthened to serve as catalysts for economic prosperity.
Dr Makubu noted that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presented a golden opportunity for the region to market and utilize its full economic potentials to transform its economic landscape, which will ultimately result in the creation of decent jobs for the teeming youths.
He said there was the need to strengthen the collaborative efforts with the private sector with the AGI at the forefront to achieve the above stated objective.
Dr Makubu urged businesses to explore opportunities in the region, adding that they were assured of adequate security and human resources.
Mr Eliphas Barine, Kenya’s High Commissioner to Ghana, said the trade opportunities available under the African Continental Free Trade Area must not elude the continent due to its benefits.
He said the continent must own the AfCFTA policy and begin to look internally and encourage citizens to patronise locally produced goods since it would help businesses grow.
Mr Barine said if industries received the needed support under the trade policy, it would help solve unemployment issues and create wealth.
He said although the continental policy would not solve all problems of the continent, it must be fully supported by all and not only governments and few businesses.
He called on the young people to begin their own businesses with the little resources they had and must be willing to work in groups to share ideas.
Nana Owusu Afari, Executive Chairman, Afariwaa Group of Companies, said he hoped the event would unearth a lot of businesses within the Oti region as well as host more industries to enable businesses and people get access to potentials in the region.
He said employment avenues needed to be created in rural areas of the region for the youth to prevent rural-urban migration.
Nana Afari urged businesses to leverage on all opportunities available at the regional and district levels as well as get the support and grants to thrive.
The event was on the theme: “Promoting Local Economic Development for the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
Mr Dela Gadzanku, Regional Chairman, Eastern, Volta and Oti, said it was important the local economy a must that the local economy be strengthened.
He said local economies formed the cornerstone of the national economic superstructure and needed to be supported by both the public and private sectors.
Mr Gadzanku said the AfCFTA was a powerful instrument at our disposal that offered the greatest opportunities for collaborative partnership between public and private actors to unleash the highest dividends for both players
He said a major strategy was to dissolve potential barriers that hindered the effective public-private partnership and fast-track processes that improved performance in both sub-sectors.
Madam Millicent Kabuki Carboo, the Biakoye District Chief Executive (DCE), said stakeholders must help to promote local economic development to get the best out of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She said the district was making conscious efforts to promote local economic development through projects like completion of sheds for fish processors at Ahamansu, training in batik tie and dye association in branding and marketing and assisting in registration of hairdressers’ associations.
Madam Carboo urged AGI to partner with the Assembly in implementing Local Economic Development interventions and establish a factory in the district.
Mr Emmanuel Agbaxode, Chairman, Volta and Oti Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), said the media too had a role to play under the African Continental Free Trade Area and assured that GJA’s relationship with the AGI and businesses in the region would be further deepened to ensure a win for all.
