The Paramount Chief of Avatime, Osie Adza Tekpor VII, has called for greater investment in the skills, entrepreneurship and leadership potential of young people across Guan communities to promote inclusive and sustainable development.
Speaking at the Grand Durbar of the Guan Congress at Anum, where he served as Co-Chairman, Osie Adza Tekpor VII said the greatest resource of the Guan people was their human capital, particularly the energy, creativity and potential of the youth.
The durbar was held under the theme, “Harmonising Resources in Guan Communities for Inclusive and Sustainable Development.”
According to the Paramount Chief, young people should no longer be viewed merely as leaders of the future but as active contributors to the development of their communities and the nation today.
“We often say that the youth are the future. But, I dare say that our youth are also the present,” he said.
He noted that young people were already contributing to their families and communities and therefore deserved meaningful opportunities to participate in decision-making, innovation and leadership.
Osie Adza Tekpor VII also emphasised that youth participation was deeply rooted in the history of the Guan Congress, pointing out that youth associations from various Guan communities played important roles in the establishment of the Congress.
The Paramount Chief called for stronger efforts to equip young Guans with digital and technical skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, leadership and mentorship.
He observed that rapid developments in technology, artificial intelligence and digital business were transforming the nature of employment and creating new opportunities for young people.
He therefore urged young Guans to move beyond seeking jobs and explore opportunities to become creators of employment.
He identified agriculture, tourism, creative industries, food processing, technology and services as areas with significant potential for youth-led businesses and job creation.
He further proposed that the Guan Congress should help connect young entrepreneurs with professionals, financial institutions, government programmes and development partners.
One of the key initiatives proposed by Osie Adza Tekpor VII was the creation of a Guan Youth Database.
He explained that such a database would help the Guan community identify its young people, their locations, skills, talents, businesses and areas where they require support.
According to him, the initiative could facilitate mentorship, talent identification, employment opportunities and collaboration among young Guans across different communities.
He stressed that the geographical spread of Guan communities should no longer be a barrier to collaboration, as technology could connect young people in communities such as Avatime, Krachi, Anum, Larteh, Gonja and others.
The Paramount Chief also called on the youth to use technology to preserve and promote Guan history, culture and identity.
He said young people could document oral histories, traditional stories, songs, proverbs and community histories while developing digital resources, documentaries, websites and social media content to tell the Guan story to a wider audience.
He recalled the Guan Congress’ contribution to language development, including the Guan Alphabet Development Seminar and efforts towards the development of Guan literature.
He urged the younger generation to build on these achievements and take the preservation and promotion of the Guan heritage into the digital age.
Osie Adza Tekpor VII further stressed the need to move young people from participation to leadership.
He called on traditional leaders to listen to, mentor and provide leadership opportunities for young people while encouraging the youth themselves to demonstrate responsibility, integrity, innovation and commitment to community development.
He argued that if the Guan people wanted responsible leaders in the future, young people must be given opportunities to take responsibility today.
To translate his proposals into action, the Paramount Chief outlined five initiatives for consideration by the Guan Congress:
- A Guan Youth Network linking youth associations across the four zones.
- A Guan Youth Database to identify skills, talents and opportunities.
- A Guan Youth Mentorship Programme connecting young people with Guan professionals and entrepreneurs.
- A Youth Entrepreneurship Programme supporting enterprise development and job creation.
- A Digital Guan Initiative aimed at connecting communities and preserving the Guan language, history and culture.
Osie Adza Tekpor VII urged stakeholders to ensure that the initiatives do not remain merely proposals but are transformed into practical programmes capable of producing measurable benefits for young people.
The Paramount Chief said the future of the Guan people depended largely on how effectively they invested in their human capital and empowered the younger generation.
He called for unity, collaboration and deliberate investment in youth development, noting that an empowered Guan youth population could play a significant role not only in transforming Guan communities but also in Ghana’s broader development.
He concluded with a call to harmonise resources, empower the youth, preserve the Guan heritage and build a stronger and more prosperous Guan people.
“Let us harmonise our resources. Let us empower our youth. Let us preserve our heritage. Let us build a stronger and more prosperous Guan people,” he said.
