Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is expecting the National Youth Volunteerism Programme to contribute significantly to the country’s GDP and ultimately enhance national development.

He believes the community-based initiative would afford the youth the opportunity to develop their skills and promote an active citizenry for national development.  

Speaking at the launch of the National Youth Volunteering Programme in Kumasi, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia acknowledged that the formal employment sector cannot solely drive national development as only a fraction of the youth find themselves in the sector.

He therefore opined that with the establishment of the volunteer programme, Ghana could record a significant percentage of GDP as proven by data in other countries.

"We have to recognize that it's not only through formal employment that we can get the things needed done and this is where the spirit of volunteerism comes in.

"The estimate that has been made in other countries with active volunteerism is that, volunteerism can contribute as much as 2.4% of a country's GDP," he said.

The National Youth Volunteering Programme aims at empowering more than 100,000 Ghanaian Youth over the next 5 years of its implementation.

The community-based initiative is in-line with the government’s agenda of achieving the sustainable development goals for local and national transformation.

A representative of the Asantehene, Nana Addai Gyamerah II, enjoined the government to implement employment strategies that would ignite a sense of patriotism among the youth.

"If we indeed succeed in establishing a new set of principles or guidelines to promote volunteerism and make it attractive, the entire nation stands to benefit. 

"This launch should mark a reawakening of sense of patriotism in our youth.

"The issue of youth unemployment is well known, I urge the youth to partake in this programme as volunteerism can be a viable action to battle unemployment," he said. 

The volunteerism Programme is implemented by the National Youth Authority under the theme; "Mobilizing youthful hearts for volunteer services in national development

Chief Executive of the National Youth Authority, Pius Enam Hadzide, noted that the youth's propensity for national development would ensure its attainment. 

"We believe that lodged deep in the heart of the Ghanaian youth, is the desire to see the country prosper and the zest to partake in the action which will bring about that prosperity," he said. 

The National Youth Volunteer Programme would afford young people the opportunity to contribute their quota in areas such as Agriculture, Education, Health, Afforestation, Community Self-Help programme, and Gender Mainstreaming.