Ten thousand young Ghanaians have been accepted into the first cohort of the Adwumawura Program, a government program that uses innovation and entrepreneurship to combat youth unemployment.
The program, a flagship initiative under the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) and housed within the recently formed Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, aims to help Ghanaians with entrepreneurial, technical, and vocational skills who are between the ages of 18 and 35 launch and grow their businesses.
The Adwumawura Program was started in April of this year and is supported by GH¢110 million in financing from the Ministry of Finance’s 2025 National Budget.
The recipients will get hands-on training in customer service, digital skills, financial management, business planning, and sustainability tactics.
In order to turn company concepts into successful, scalable companies, the package also includes start-up kits, coaching, and access to markets and networks.
Over 120,000 applications were submitted to the program via manual and online routes.
To guarantee national inclusion, 10,000 beneficiaries were chosen from this pool, representing each constituency, district, and region.
Several prominent dignitaries attended the 2025 cohort’s matriculation and onboarding ceremony, including the Vice-President, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang; staff from her office; the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku; the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare-Addo; the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon and Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo; the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NEIP, Eric Adjei; the MP for Ablekuma North, Ewurabena Aubynn and the Country Director of the British Council, Nii Doodo Doodo.
Speaking at the Accra event, the vice president urged the young people to make use of the Adwumawura Program’s chances. She reminded the beneficiaries that the road ahead would not be without difficulties and urged them to embrace self-control, integrity, and concentration.
“No business, no matter how successful, is free from setbacks; what will set you apart is how you rise above them and continue to innovate regardless,” she said, urging the group to be resilient and dedicated.
According to Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, the program is a national initiative to spur economic transformation, job creation, and innovation.
The program demonstrated the government’s commitment to investing in youth, Ghana’s most precious asset, according to the vice president.
