Accra: Ms. Margaret Ansei, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), has praised the Mastercard Foundation for its commitment to empowering youth across Africa. She described these efforts as transformative and crucial for shaping the continent’s future during the launch of the Mastercard Foundation Youth Futures Initiative and Stakeholder Engagement Meeting at the University of Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ms. Ansei expressed her gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation and the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) for organizing the event. She emphasized the importance of youth-centered development strategies for sustainable national growth. The Mastercard Foundation Youth Futures Initiative focuses on quality education, skills development, and dignified employment, while also recognizing youth voice, agency, and creativity.
Ms. Ansei highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the Ghana Enterprises Agency and the Foundation, mentioning flagship init
iatives like the Business in a Box (BizBox) Project and the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for the Youth (HAPPY) Project. The BizBox Project provides young people with entrepreneurial training, startup kits, and mentorship, while the HAPPY Project focuses on agribusiness development in post-production value chains such as rice, soybean, tomato, and poultry.
She noted that these projects are not only creating jobs but also cultivating a generation of resilient and empowered young entrepreneurs ready to drive Ghana’s economic transformation. Additionally, Ms. Ansei endorsed President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy Agenda, highlighting its potential to create flexible and inclusive economic opportunities for Ghanaian youth. She urged stakeholders to collaborate across sectors and borders to empower the continent’s youth, investing in people with confidence in their ingenuity.
Professor Peter Quartey, Director of ISSER, also praised the Mastercard Foundation for its initiative, descr
ibing it as a much-needed intervention that aligns with Ghana’s economic development goals. He emphasized the importance of such collaborative efforts in addressing youth unemployment and equipping the next generation with future-ready skills.