President John Mahama has pledged that the new Adwumawura programme will be inclusive, youth-led, and fully Ghanaian-owned.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative in the Ashanti Region on Monday, 28 April, President Mahama said the programme was carefully designed to offer opportunities to all young people, regardless of their background.

"The Adwumawura programme is designed to be inclusive, it is designed to be youth-led, it is designed to be Ghanaian-owned, and so you must be a Ghanaian to be part of the Adwumawura programme," he stated.

He emphasised that formal education would not be a barrier to participation. "Whether you are a university graduate, you graduated from a technical school, a vocational school, you are a senior high school leaver, or even those with little or no formal education, you will have equal access to opportunities under this programme," President Mahama said.

Businesses selected under the programme will be chosen based on their scalability, sustainability, and potential for job creation. The President described the initiative as "an ambitious undertaking" but said it was necessary "if we are to secure a prosperous and resilient future for the youth of Ghana."

Unlike previous initiatives, President Mahama assured that Adwumawura has strong financial backing. "This programme is not like others that were announced in the recent past with a lot of fanfare but proved to be mirages without adequate funding to sustain them. Adwumawura is fully funded, with adequate allocation provided by the Ministry of Finance in the 2025 budget," he said.

Highlighting the government's focus on inclusivity and equity, President Mahama announced that at least 60% of the beneficiaries would come from vulnerable groups.

"They will be drawn from women and girls, especially in male-dominated trades, persons living with disability, unemployed and underemployed youth, out-of-school youths, rural and vulnerable populations, youth in conflict-affected areas, and youths formerly engaged in illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey," he explained.

He added that through the Adwumawura programme, the government aims to significantly reduce Ghana’s youth unemployment rate and lower the percentage of young people not in employment, education, or training, known globally as the NEET indicator.

"Through this we aim to significantly reduce Ghana’s youth employment rate and contribute meaningfully to reducing the global NEET indicator."