The Founder of the Tanko Foundation and Member of the Council of State for the Volta Region, H.E. Gabriel Tanko Kwamigah-Atokple, has called for stronger partnerships between government, civil society, and the private sector to sustain youth-focused initiatives like the Duamenefa Regional Tournament, describing it as “a living model for social transformation.”

Speaking at the Grand Finale of the 2025 edition of the tournament, held at the Dzodze Penyi Senior High School, H.E. Tanko commended Evangelist Emmanuel Ketaman Evortepe and the Duamenefa Foundation for using sports as a vehicle for peacebuilding, unity, and talent development across the Volta Region.

He explained that the Tanko Foundation’s sponsorship was a “purposeful and deliberate investment in human capital, community safety, and economic growth,” emphasising that the returns were visible in “lives transformed, families lifted, and communities made more cohesive.”

According to him, the partnership has produced tangible outcomes, from scholarships and vocational training to improved healthcare and sports opportunities. “Players from Ave Xevi and other communities now play professionally in Europe. More than a hundred young people have benefited from educational support. Hospital wards have been renovated, and single parents empowered,” he said.

H.E. Tanko urged government and regional authorities to institutionalise support for youth tournaments and to integrate the Duamenefa model into development plans, stressing that sustainable funding and structured talent pathways can turn youth energy into long-term productivity.

He also encouraged the private sector to invest in sports development, describing every cedi spent on youth as “a multiplier investment in peace and productivity.”

“Nation-building is not an abstract exercise,” he concluded. “It is the daily choice to invest in people and create systems that uplift. The Duamenefa Tournament is one such system, a platform for long-term transformation.”