As part of the International Youth Day celebrations, Nelson Owusu Ansah, Deputy CEO in charge of Operations and Programs at the National Youth Authority, has praised Ghana’s strides in digitalization, emphasizing the country’s progress and potential.
Speaking to ABC News Ghana on Sunday, August 11, 2024, he highlighted the various digital initiatives undertaken by the government, urging the importance of inclusivity and intensified efforts to engage the youth.
The theme for this year, ‘From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,’ resonated strongly with Ghana’s current direction, according to Ansah.
He noted, “It aligns very well with the direction the country is taking, with the generation that is being celebrated, and with the peculiar challenges young ones are facing.”
Ghana boasts one of the highest mobile penetration rates in Africa, a fact that Ansah attributed to the youth’s embrace of digital tools.
“Currently, as I speak, the country (Ghana) has one of the highest mobile penetration in Africa. That tells you that many people using these machines are young ones,” he remarked.
Ansah expressed confidence in Ghana’s digital trajectory and called on relevant authorities to ensure that every young person is exposed to the new digital paradigm initiated by the government.
He stressed the need for continuous efforts to include the youth in these advancements, recognizing their role as both the primary users and beneficiaries of digital technologies.
In his address, Ansah also urged the youth to harness the positive potential of digital tools while remaining cautious of their potential pitfalls.
“We know how important the web is, we know how important digitalization is. But it can also equally be a very destructive tool if we don’t use it right,” he warned.
He encouraged young people to utilize digital platforms constructively, cautioning against the misuse of these tools for negative purposes.
“If we decide to use these platforms to always commend troubles then we are rather being counterproductive,” he concluded.
