Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday appealed to the youth to take advantage of development projects government was rolling out to leverage their economic potentials to become self-reliant. He mentioned some of the programmes as National Youth Employment Programme, Local Enterprises and Skills Development programme and Vocational training as some of the programmes that could empower them to become self-employed. Vice President Mahama said this when he launched the third phase of Rural Enterprises Programme (REP) at Mankessim in the Central Region. The REP, which was piloted in Techiman in the Brong-Ahafo Region and Sekyere West in the Ashanti Region in 1995 and increased to 68 districts in 2003, is now covering 160 districts throughout the country. The eight-year programme, which would cost GHc330.8 million, is financed by the Government of Ghana, International Fund for Agriculture Development and the African Development Bank (AfDB). The programme forms part of government’s efforts to reduce poverty and improve living conditions in the rural areas and to upscale district-based micro and small enterprises. Vice President Mahama said apart from rolling out the programmes, government would also provide micro loan schemes to support the youth to achieve their economic goals instead of perpetually relying on government and other organised bodies for employment. He appealed to district assemblies that were yet to receive the REP projects to set up Business and Advisory Centre as a major condition to attract the programme as they were supposed to be independent of the national headquarters. Vice President Mahama, who also inaugurated the Mankessim Rural Technology Facility promised that government would provide access to appropriate technology and opportunity to increase skilled and competent manpower to undertake fabrication and repairs of machinery and equipment at the district level. Miss Hannah Tetteh, Minister for Trade and Industry, said on account of its effectiveness, government had upscaled it from project to programmes, which would empower more youth to undertake training skills. She appealed to the District Assemblies to develop local machinery for their projects to flourish and wean themselves from donor organisations from other countries. Madam Marie Akinolagbade, a representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB), said her outfit would support the programme with $70 million and called on the recipients and other beneficiaries to commit themselves to achieving the desired goals of the programme.