ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
This initiative will benefit approximately 30,000 young people.
Mr Speaker, the Livestock Development Project will address Ghana's reliance on imported meat by restocking breeder farms and increasing local livestock production, creating jobs and boosting self-sufficiency.
For years, access to mechanisation, quality seeds, fertilisers, and extension services has been a major challenge for farmers.
To address this, government will establish Farmer Service Centres in every agricultural district, ensuring farmers receive essential resources to improve productivity and efficiency.
In the fisheries sector, we will implement strategic interventions to enhance productivity and sustainability.
Key among these initiatives is the continued enforcement of measures to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which threatens marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of our hardworking fisherfolk.
We have intensified surveillance and monitoring operations, bolstered by the deployment of modern technology and strengthened collaboration with key stakeholders.
In the last month, we have expanded the supply of subsidised premix fuel to support artisanal and industrial fishers, ensuring affordability and availability.
We will also invest further in modern fish landing sites and cold storage facilities to improve post-harvest handling, reduce losses, and enhance the quality of fish products.
Aquaculture development is a key focus of our administration.
We will provide financial and technical support to fish farmers, increasing local fish production and reducing our dependence on fish imports.
To increase value addition in the sector, we will encourage the establishment of fish processing facilities, create more jobs and boost exports.
Our commitment to supporting women in fisheries remains steadfast as we implement programmes to empower female fish processors and traders with financial resources and capacity-building initiatives.
While we work hard to fix the economy, and provide job opportunities in all sectors, including agribusiness, one of the biggest crisis we face is youth unemployment.
Youth unemployment has led to despair and frustration.
The latest estimates show that up to two million youth are unemployed.
This poses a major security risk for our country and requires urgent attention.
To bring much-needed focus to the desperate and widely scattered youth employment programmes and ensure stricter accountability in their implementation, I have set up the Ministry for Youth Development and Empowerment in furtherance of my campaign promise.
The Ministry is mandated to formulate, coordinate and monitor policies and programmes to promote youth development and empowerment in the country.
Mr Speaker, as part of our Operation Recover All Loot policy, I have already tasked our investigative bodies to bring the culprits of the National Service ghost names scandal to justice.
Such brazen theft of public funds must be stopped and punished.
It is estimated that the criminal addition at some point of more than eighty thousand (80,000) ghost names could have yielded the suspects over GHS 50 million a month.
Unfortunately, some of the suspects are believed to have absconded from the country.
I have directed that they be declared wanted and their assets traced and frozen until investigations are completed.
To achieve a legally robust regime to govern National Service, I have also tasked the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment to coordinate and present to Parliament a Legislative Instrument (LI) to support the implementation of the newly passed National Service Authority Act 2024 (Act 1119).
We will introduce short military training as part of our national service scheme.
This will instill a sense of fitness and discipline into our youth.
The administration of scholarships is another challenge.
It has been fraught with many challenges.
The poor who genuinely need scholarships are unable to access them because the rich always crowd them out.
To fulfil my government's vision of promoting transparency, equity, and sustainability in the scholarship scheme, we shall streamline the award process to ensure that only deserving youth benefit from the system.
We shall introduce increased transparency, including publishing the list of beneficiaries every year.
Mr Speaker, job creation is one of the main pillars of my government's promise to the youth of Ghana.
To help actualise this promise, we will roll out the Adwumawura Programme.
This initiative will create, track, and mentor businesses annually, with a special focus on young people.
For the first phase, the top two thousand (2,000) implementable business proposals will be supported with business development training, mentorship, access to startup capital, market and networking to operationalise their innovations and business ideas.
Government will also launch our flagship National Apprenticeship Programme to equip ten thousand (10,000) young people in the informal sector with employable skills, including providing apprenticeship fees and start-up kits.
The youth development and the interior ministries will facilitate training for young people in the okada business in areas such as road safety regulations, financial literacy, and digital skills, as well as facilitate the acquisition of motorbikes.
We will introduce electric motorcycles on a hire purchase scheme to eliminate the use of petrol and make the business more profitable.
Her Excellency the Vice-President's Empowerment for Women and People with Disabilities Programme will also be launched this year.
The programme will target women, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups to build their capacity and offer them access to finance to create jobs.
Speaker, the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations will also focus on developing youth IT skills and fostering innovation.
Under the ‘One Million Coders Programme’, young people will receive training in coding, web app development, digital marketing, and other digital skills.
This initiative aims to equip them with the necessary skills for employability in the digital ecosystem.
We must provide meaningful and relevant education to prepare our youth for today's technology-driven job market.
Despite various reforms, issues related to low learning outcomes persist within Ghana's educational system.
I am committed to ensuring that quality education remains a top priority.
The system we inherited is outdated in many ways and must be realigned to meet the needs of the 21 st century and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Recognising the urgent need for national dialogue on education and in the spirit of inclusive governance, I launched the National Education Consultative Forum on February 18 in Ho.
I look forward to the recommendations, which we will incorporate into our sectoral policies.
Mr Speaker, even though Article 38 of the Constitution guarantees equitable access to education across Ghana, 30 years after the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme, its full objectives remain unmet.
To tackle this issue, government will redefine the scope of basic education and introduce the "Zero to Hero" initiative to enhance foundational literacy and numeracy.
Additionally, ICT training will be integrated into early childhood education.
Over the next three years, it will be expanded to cover 300 classrooms, 30 centres of excellence, 1,000 teachers, and District Teacher Support Teams (DTSTs) focusing on mathematics and literacy.
This year, the Ministry of Education will fully implement a new curriculum for Senior High Technical Schools and STEM Schools, introduce a standardised National Sign Language for hearing-impaired learners from Kindergarten to SHS, and review the Kindergarten and Primary School curriculums.
To increase access to quality education, we will scale up social intervention programmes like Capitation Grants, Feeding Grants for Special Schools, and the government's BECE registration initiative.
To promote inclusion and equity, the government will: Enhance and resource the Islamic Education Unit to recruit more Islamic and Arabic tutors; Establish STEM and TVET schools in underserved peri-urban communities; Provide scholarships to brilliant but needy students in deprived communities, especially for law, medicine, and engineering; Support Islamic Colleges of Education with infrastructure and logistics; Enrol youth in Zongo and deprived urban areas in the National Apprenticeship Programme and offer free technical and vocational training.
It is important to continue to retain and motivate teachers in all schools, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Government will begin plans for the implementation of the 20% allowance for teachers who agree to serve in rural schools.
District Assemblies would be involved in this scheme to ensure that the teachers are present and teaching.
This scheme will reward such teachers for their sacrifice and ensuring quality education nationwide.
As part of our Teacher Dabr3 initiative, the construction of teacher accommodation units to improve welfare and attract teachers to rural areas will commence this year.
Mr Speaker, once again for emphasis, and for the record, I, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, will not cancel the free SHS programme.
I am determined to make it better by improving its implementation.
Also, for the record, students who have benefitted from the free SHS since its inception are about 3.4 million.
The figure of 5.1 million beneficiaries, as previously put out by the Akufo-Addo government, was an exaggerated and false narrative calculated to achieve political credit.
While it has improved access, the implementation of free SHS leaves much to be desired.
The outcomes of the ongoing National Education Forum will guide our reforms in this sector.
In line with our promise, the Minister for Education has announced the restoration of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs).
It is important for parents and communities to participate in the administration of their schools.
The Ministry of Education and GES will ensure that PTAs do not impose unbearable financial burdens on parents and students who cannot afford them.
The double-track system remains a challenge, and we are committed to eliminating it by accelerating school infrastructure expansion and completing stalled projects.
To fund this, the Education and Finance Ministries are working to uncap the GETFund for secondary school projects.
As promised, we have begun improving secondary school feeding.
Efforts to decentralise food management include strengthening procurement and store management capacity.
Once completed, food procurement and management will be fully handed over to secondary school heads.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are central to national development.
We will expand STEM programmes at all levels to equip students for the global economy.
Regional TVET Centres of Excellence will be established to provide practical skills.
Ghana has consistently missed its Gross Tertiary Enrolment targets, with the rate below 22%—far from the 40% goal by 2030.
Despite over 460,000 secondary graduates annually, 55% qualify for tertiary education, and only 35% (161,000) enrol, leaving over 300,000 without access.
To address this, government is introducing a no-fee stress policy to eliminate tertiary admission fees, which currently serve as a barrier to higher education for some students.
This will be supported by an enhanced Student Loan Scheme (Student Loan Plus).
The no-fee policy will also cover all Persons with Disabilities (PwD) who gain admission to tertiary institutions.
Additionally, TVET enrolment will be increased from 11% to 20% to boost employability.
Rising enrolment has strained university infrastructure, causing overcrowding and inadequate accommodation.
We are determined to expand access, improve quality, and align tertiary education with national goals, particularly in STEM.
Feasibility studies for new public universities or campuses of existing universities to be established in the six new regions will commence this year.
Seed funding for these projects will come from the GETFund to enhance nationwide access.
Government will engage with the existing public universities to identify suitable sites on their acquired lands for the implementation of the private sector participation in the provision of hostels.
This will allow more students to be accommodated on the campuses to allow for a better learning environment.
Academic freedom will be upheld, and institutions will be required to ensure good governance.
Speaker, the health sector faces significant challenges that jeopardize the very foundation of our health system.
The Ministry of Health has a total liability of nearly GHS 15 billion when co-financing obligations, judgment debts, and payments to clear medical commodities at the ports are put together.
The last major hospital equipment replacement programme was undertaken in 2014 when I was President.
Since then, most hospital equipment in GHS facilities have deteriorated or broken down.
The Agenda 111 programme started as a knee-jerk reaction during the COVID-19 pandemic when the Ghanaian public began to appreciate the significant investment the previous NDC administration had made in health facilities and lament the many hospital projects that had stalled under the Akufo Addo administration.
The promise was to build 111 hospitals, but no dedicated funding source was secured for such a gargantuan project.
Speaker, for the record, as I speak, not a single Agenda 111 hospital is operational in any part of Ghana.
It is worth disclosing that US $400 million has already been disbursed under Agenda 111 project.
At a rate of approximately $18m per hospital, the US$ 400 million spent could have completed at least 22 hospitals for Ghanaians.
We will now require GHS 22 billion to complete the projects.
I have tasked the Minister for Health to present a plan on the way forward for this programme.
Let me add that we are open to public-private partnerships and franchising to complete and operationalise these hospitals.
Speaker, one of the most pressing issues confronting our health sector is USAID's sudden 90-day pause in services without prior notice and the looming threat of complete withdrawal of programmes that do not align with the USA’s strategic interests.
Programmes that this will affect include the delivery of medical commodities to regional medical stores and health facilities in the Upper West, Upper East, Northern, and Savannah regions.
USAID’s support for the National HIV/AIDS Control Programme, including the supply of antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) in the Western, Western North, and Ahafo Regions is also affected.
This withdrawal puts at risk approximately $78 million earmarked for malaria, maternal and child health, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS programmes.
The impact will be devastating without urgent intervention.
I have therefore directed the Minister for Finance to make immediate financial arrangements to mitigate this loss, and I expect that this will be reflected in his budget, which will be presented next month.
Working with the NHIA, we will revive the ONUADOR mobile healthcare vans to provide OPD, ophthalmology, dental, ENT, and cancer screening care in remote and vulnerable communities.
An earlier attempt to provide mobile healthcare facilities was abandoned after the change of government in 2017.
Speaker, public health experts are grappling with the conundrum of new diseases and the re-emergence of old diseases.
The unpredictable nature of disease outbreaks suggests we must make our health system resilient to shocks.
Since October last year, Ghana has faced a severe cholera outbreak.
As of February 17, 2025, 6,300 suspected cases, 545 confirmed cases, and 49 deaths had been recorded.
The outbreak has affected 118 districts across Greater Accra, Central, Western, Ashanti, and Eastern Regions.
To control the situation, we have launched an aggressive vaccination and public education campaign, among other interventions.
Mr Speaker, sanitation within the context of infectious disease outbreaks, personal hygiene and environmental sanitation must be a major priority.
Our cities and towns must be cleaner than what is being delivered so far.
We commit to right the wrongs to keep our communities and cities clean through appropriate investments, supervision, and performance tracking.
Speaker, the Upper West Region is facing a severe meningitis outbreak.
As of February 17, 2025, 135 suspected cases, 22 confirmed cases, and 16 deaths had been reported across ten (10) districts.
We have instituted free treatment for affected persons and deployed a national team of health experts to encourage early reporting to health facilities.
Mr Speaker, as outlined in the 2024 Manifesto of the NDC, my administration is actively developing the framework for the rollout of the Free Primary Healthcare Programme.
When fully implemented, this initiative will mark a significant step towards achieving Goal 3.8 (universal health coverage) of the SDGs by eliminating financial barriers to basic healthcare access.
Also, in line with our 120-day manifesto commitment, the composition of the technical committee is far advanced, with plans to establish the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCare) in the coming weeks.
This fund will be dedicated to financing the treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which have seen a significant rise over the past decade.
As part of this initiative, the government is committing to allocating financial resources towards this project in 2025, with further support to be mobilised from private sector partners to ensure the sustainability of the fund.
Once operational, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund will directly address the financial burden of patients requiring dialysis treatment, cancer care, and other critical NCD-related interventions.
Together, the Free Primary Healthcare Programme—which will focus on prevention, early detection, and treatment—and MahamaCare, which will focus on relieving the financial burden of treating Non-Communicable Diseases, will help revolutionise Ghana's healthcare system by improving healthcare accessibility and outcomes and enhancing productivity and well-being across the country.
Speaker, as a Social Democrat, I am resolutely committed to eradicating all forms of discrimination in our society.
Our vision is to foster fairness and cultivate an inclusive environment where everyone can engage fully and equally in social, economic, and political life.
With my Vice President, Prof.
Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, we will engage with all stakeholders, including development partners and civil society organisations, to prioritise gender equality, equity, and social justice.
We will establish strong social protection mechanisms and enhance legal safeguards for women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.
Our initiatives will include enacting comprehensive laws and policies designed to dismantle harmful social norms, enhance access to crucial resources and opportunities—particularly for young women—and reduce overall vulnerability within our society.
Speaker, I would like to take a moment to commend you for your unwavering support and guidance, which were instrumental in passing the Affirmative Action Act, 2024 (Act 1121) during the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
My government is dedicated to successfully implementing the Affirmative Action Act of 2024 (Act 1121) to ensure gender equity across political, social, economic, educational, and cultural spheres.
The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection is actively collaborating with relevant stakeholders to guarantee that this Act is fully operational, including attaining the 30% target quota for women in political appointments.
I am pleased to report that women currently make up 23.21% of all appointments, and we are diligently working toward reaching the target set forth in Act 1121.
I am concerned about achieving gender balance, especially at the local government level.
Very few women muster the courage to apply for the position of MMDCE.
The few who do are edged out on very flimsy and parochial grounds.
It is my hope that the National Constitution Review Conference will clear a pathway for the election of DCEs.
The Gender Ministry will have the obligation to encourage and support more women to apply for these positions.
In our pursuit of empowering women, Mr Speaker, we will establish the Women's Development Bank, a specialised financial institution designed to support businesses owned and led by women through low-interest loans and tailored financial services offered under flexible terms.
Consultative processes are underway to ensure the successful launch of this bank.
As part of our 120-day social contract, the Minister for Finance will allocate initial funding for the Women's Development Bank in the upcoming Budget presentation.
We are also implementing measures to expand the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme under our "Big LEAP" initiative.
As we work towards completing the Ghana National Household Data Census by 2025, we will reassess the status of LEAP beneficiary households to facilitate the enrolment of new beneficiaries.
Speaker, we are committed to enhancing the legal framework surrounding disability rights by passing the Persons with Disability (Amendment) Bill.
Additionally, we will introduce a Legislative Instrument to strengthen further the provisions of the Persons with Disability Act of 2006 (Act 715).
I want to reiterate our commitment to ensuring that individuals with disabilities have access to free tertiary education and equal opportunities to pursue their academic and professional ambitions.
The government intends to ensure the implementation of the legislation that enjoins public and private employers to reserve 5% of their employment for persons with disabilities.
Mr Speaker, Ghana's sports sector, once a shining example of excellence within Africa, now finds itself at a critical juncture.
Historically, our nation has celebrated remarkable achievements in boxing, football, and athletics.
However, recent years have unveiled pressing structural deficiencies in administration, funding, infrastructure, and talent development.
Immediate and comprehensive reforms are imperative to reclaim our rightful place on the global sports stage.
We will develop a comprehensive National Sports Policy to align with international norms.
This policy will be accompanied by an exhaustive review of the Sports Act of 2016 (Act 934) and the rigorous enforcement of the Sports Regulations 2023 (LI 2477).
Infrastructure development remains paramount in our strategy.
The government is committed to refurbishing existing national stadiums, completing youth resource centres, and constructing new sports facilities in underserved regions.
We will also prioritise community recreational facilities to foster greater participation in sports at the grassroots level.
Recognising the critical role of youth development, we are implementing a significant overhaul of grassroots sports with the establishment of the School Sports Authority.
This body will oversee structured inter-school competitions and talent identification initiatives essential for nurturing future sporting champions.
Over 60% of Ghana's elite athletes have emerged from these school sports programmes.
The ministry has now been renamed the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
To acknowledge the significance of recreation, we will launch a National Recreation Day—a monthly initiative centred on community engagement—alongside an annual National Recreation Festival.
These initiatives will encourage keep-fit activities and promote active lifestyles, promote traditional games, and strengthen community bonds.
Next month, the senior national team, the Black Stars, now a pale shadow of its former glory, will play two World Cup qualifying matches.
I have instructed my Office and the Minister to hold the Ghana Football Association accountable to the people of Ghana as we prepare for these games, especially regarding the budget the FA has presented for the two matches.
There will be no secrecy in how much the government spends on the national teams.