NYA CEO Osman Ayariga Urges Private Sector Support for Youth-Led Enterprises at Enactus Expo
Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Osman Abdullai Ayariga Esq., has reaffirmed the Government of Ghana’s unwavering commitment to youth empowerment, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, Hon. George Opare Addo, Osman Ayariga delivered a keynote address at the 2025 Enactus Ghana National Exposition held at the GNAT Hall in Accra.
The annual event, themed “Global Perspectives: Entrepreneurship without Borders,” brought together student innovators, industry leaders, public officials, and development partners to spotlight student-led enterprises and social innovation projects that seek to address real-world challenges.
In his address, Osman Ayariga commended Enactus Ghana for playing a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of socially conscious business leaders.
“Your work exemplifies what it means to take learning beyond the classroom and apply it to the needs of our communities. You are not just building businesses—you are building futures,” he said.
Osman Ayariga emphasized that Ghana’s youth must be positioned at the heart of national development.
He highlighted several forward-looking government programs currently being implemented to unleash the potential of young Ghanaians:
National Youth Policy (2022–2032): A comprehensive roadmap for youth engagement across governance, education, technology, health, and innovation.
Youth Resource Centres: Ultra-modern hubs across Ghana offering training in digital skills, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
National Apprenticeship Program (NAP): A GH₵300 million government-backed initiative to train 100,000 youth in vocational skills through a dual-model approach.
Youth in Innovative Agriculture Programme (YIAP): Designed to position agriculture as a lucrative, tech-driven career path for youth.
Support for Youth-Led Enterprises: Partnerships with NEIP and Ghana Enterprises Agency to provide funding, incubation, and market linkage to youth-run businesses.
Leadership and Civic Engagement Initiatives: Bootcamps, forums, and mentorship programs aimed at instilling ethical leadership and civic consciousness.
“These interventions are not isolated,” he stressed. “Together, they form a national strategy to transform Ghana’s youthful population into its most valuable asset.”
Calling Enactus Ghana a “strategic ally” in this mission, Osman Ayariga noted the alignment between the government’s development agenda and Enactus’ action-oriented approach to student entrepreneurship and value-driven leadership.
“We have seen Enactus projects that turn waste into opportunity, empower rural women with digital tools, and create micro-solutions to macro challenges.
This is entrepreneurship with purpose—and it must be scaled,” he noted.
He also used the occasion to urge private and public sector partners—including the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Ghana Tourism Authority—to go beyond sponsorship and create tangible opportunities for youth innovation by opening boardrooms, mentorship networks, and procurement pipelines.
To the competing student teams, Osman Ayariga had a message of hope and encouragement:
“Today, you are not merely pitching ideas—you are pitching the future. Whether you win or not, you have already proven that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Ghana. Keep learning. Keep leading.”
Following the event, Osman Ayariga took to Facebook to reflect on the experience, describing it as “a celebration of bold ideas, innovative thinking, and youth-led transformation.”
The 2025 Enactus Ghana National Exposition once again demonstrated the power of youth-driven innovation in shaping the country’s development trajectory. As Osman Ayariga put it:
“The time for youth is now. Let us ensure entrepreneurship becomes the new currency of Ghana’s development.”
