The Member of Parliament for Krachi Nchumuru, Solomon Kuyon, has called for the establishment of a National Youth Development Fund to unlock opportunities for young people and support youth-led businesses across the country.
The MP made the call in a statement on the floor of the House on Monday, March 9, 2026, where he urged government and lawmakers to take decisive steps toward creating a sustainable financial framework that would help young Ghanaians translate their ambitions into viable economic ventures.
Mr. Kuyon said Ghana’s youth represent the country’s greatest and most abundant resource, yet many continue to struggle to access the capital and support systems needed to develop their ideas into successful enterprises.
According to him, across the country from fishing communities along the Volta Lake to the growing technology hubs in Accra, young people are ready to contribute meaningfully to national development but are constrained by limited access to financing.
“I rise today not to speak of problems, but of potential,” he told the House, emphasizing that the energy, creativity and determination of Ghanaian youth must be matched with opportunities that allow them to thrive.
Mr. Kuyon noted that many young graduates, artisans and innovators possess strong entrepreneurial ideas but lack the financial resources required to launch businesses. In many cases, he said, young entrepreneurs are unable to secure start-up capital, purchase essential equipment, or obtain funding to expand their ventures.
He emphasized that while several youth empowerment initiatives have been introduced over the years, many of them operate as short-term interventions that fail to create sustainable pathways for economic growth.
“Our approach to youth empowerment has often been a patchwork of temporary programmes,” he said. “Though well-intentioned, these initiatives frequently lack the scale and sustainability needed to address the real challenges facing our young people.”
To address this gap, the MP proposed the creation of a National Youth Development Fund to be established through legislation as a professionally managed and politically independent national endowment dedicated to youth empowerment.
According to him, the fund would serve as a strategic long-term investment in Ghana’s future, operating beyond the uncertainties of political cycles and focusing on sustainable youth development.
Mr. Kuyon outlined three key pillars that would guide the operations of the proposed fund.
The first pillar would focus on seed capital for youth start-ups, providing micro-grants and concessionary loans to young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 to enable them to establish businesses.
He explained that such support could help a young baker acquire an oven to expand production, assist a fisher to purchase fishing equipment, or enable a young technology graduate to acquire the tools needed to start a digital business.
The second pillar would provide scale-up financing for promising youth-led small and medium-sized enterprises, enabling businesses that have already demonstrated potential to expand and create employment opportunities.
Mr. Kuyon noted that supporting such enterprises would have a multiplier effect on job creation, transforming small businesses into larger companies capable of employing dozens of people.
The third pillar would provide skills development and innovation grants, supporting vocational training, modern apprenticeship programmes and the establishment of innovation and technology hubs across the country.
According to the MP, this approach would ensure that the skills acquired by young people align with the demands of the modern economy.
He further called for the formation of a bipartisan working group within Parliament to begin drafting legislation that would establish the fund and design a sustainable financing structure.
Mr. Kuyon suggested that funding for the initiative could come from a combination of sources, including government budgetary allocations, contributions from development partners and corporate organisations, as well as modest levies from sectors such as telecommunications and extractive industries.
He emphasized that youth unemployment is a national challenge that transcends political divisions and requires collective action from all stakeholders.
“This is not a partisan issue,” he said. “The aspirations of young people in Krachi Nchumuru are the same aspirations shared by young people across Ghana.”
Mr. Kuyon concluded by urging Parliament to take bold steps to invest in the country’s youth, stressing that empowering young people remains one of the most effective ways to secure Ghana’s long-term prosperity.
“Investing in our youth is the single greatest economic decision we can make as a nation,” he said, adding that with the right support, young Ghanaians could transform their ideas into businesses that drive innovation, create jobs and strengthen the country’s economy.
By: Christian Kpesese
