Ranking Member of Parliament’s Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has called on the government to move beyond political slogans and create sustainable jobs and opportunities for Ghana’s youth.

In a statement to mark International Youth Day on Wednesday, August 12, Mr Assafuah said young people’s aspirations for dignity, decent employment and meaningful participation in national development could not be met through ceremonial celebrations and political rhetoric.

He said the true measure of a government’s commitment to the youth should be reflected in the opportunities it creates and the lives it transforms.

“The most urgent demand today is clear: jobs, jobs and more sustainable jobs,” he said, stressing that employment provides young people with dignity, independence, hope and the foundation to contribute meaningfully to their families and communities.

Mr Assafuah criticised what he described as the NDC government’s reliance on “propaganda” and political promises, arguing that youth development required a deliberate national strategy linking education and skills training to industry, entrepreneurship, technology, agriculture and the creative economy.

He called for an enabling environment for private-sector growth, support for youth-owned businesses, access to affordable credit, stronger technical and vocational education and sustainable youth employment programmes.

The Old Tafo MP urged the government to ensure that every promise to young people was backed by clear timelines, adequate funding, transparent implementation and measurable outcomes.

“The youth do not need another promise of a better tomorrow. They need the opportunity to build that tomorrow today,” Mr Assafuah said, while urging young Ghanaians to continue learning, innovating, organising and demanding accountability.