Business Information

The National Youth Authority (NYA) was established in 1974 under NRDC 241.

It is a statutory public organization under the Government of Ghana, with the purpose of coordinating and facilitating youth empowerment and youth development activities nationwide.

NYA operates under the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment (MYDE), which was set up in 2025 to focus on youth policies, empowerment, skills, and enabling environments.



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Vision & Mission

Vision: To be a statutory institution of reference in youth development service.

Mission: To provide an environment that supports effective youth empowerment interventions, involving young people in governance and socio-economic development programmes.



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Key Mandate & Functions

According to its founding laws (notably NYA Act 939, 2016), NYA has a number of responsibilities. These include:

1. Policy Formulation & Implementation

Initiating, reviewing, and implementing policies relating to youth development and empowerment.



2. Coordination & Partnerships

Coordinating youth programmes across regions and with various stakeholders (government, NGOs, private sector).



3. Skills & Training

Operating Youth Leadership and Skills Training Institutes (YLSTIs) that provide formal and informal training for disadvantaged or unskilled youth, especially in rural communities.



4. Youth Participation & Leadership

Promoting youth inclusion in governance, decision-making, civic activities; inculcation of leadership, patriotism, and national service.



5. Socio-economic Empowerment

Supporting livelihood initiatives, entrepreneurship, vocational training, small-scale project support to reduce youth unemployment and enhance self-sufficiency.



6. Monitoring, Evaluation & Research

Monitoring outcomes, evaluating youth programs, as well as performing research to inform policy.



7. Inclusivity

Ensuring youth programmes are inclusive: diverse youth (urban/rural), women, persons with disabilities etc.





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Legal / Institutional Framework

NYA is backed by Act 939 (2016), the National Youth Authority Act.

It operates through a network of youth development institutions, training institutes (YLSTIs), and collaboration with local youth groups.



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Recent Activities & Programmes

Some of the more recent / known programs and initiatives of NYA include:

Training in ICT, digital marketing, entrepreneurship in partnership with centres such as Accra Digital Centre, Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence etc., for unemployed youth.

Skills training in rural and remote districts, especially for vulnerable youth (women, persons with disabilities), including production & marketing of crafts, soaps, packaging, etc.

Short‐term informal skills training (max three months) to quickly equip youth with marketable skills.



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Strengths & Challenges

Strengths:

Broad legal mandate and history: being an established body gives institutional legitimacy.

Nationwide presence: reaches rural and urban youth, operates skills institutes.

Focus on inclusive development and collaboration.


Challenges (commonly reported):

Funding constraints often limit scale or speed of delivery.

Matching skills training to the market demand: ensuring trained youth can find markets/jobs.

Logistical, infrastructural challenges in rural areas.

Monitoring and evaluation systems may need strengthening to measure impact consistently across regions.

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Product and Services

• ●Job Centre YEA runs a “Job Centre Ghana” which is a one-stop system for job seekers and employers. It has an online portal where job seekers can register, upload CVs, apply for posted vacancies, and for employers to post vacancies.
• ●Skills Training & Internship / Placement Modules YEA provides training (often vocational/trade & technical) and also internship or attachment programmes to help youth gain work experience.
• ●Entrepreneurship Support The agency supports young people who want to go into self-employment via entrepreneurship training modules.
• ●Work-Abroad Facilitation YEA provides pathways for youth who want to work abroad, by possibly connecting them to opportunities abroad.

Contacts

• ●+233 (0) 20 790 1482
• ●TOLL- FREE: 0800 100 077
• ●+233 20 555 0394
• ●+233 (0) 302 21 1555
• ●WhatsApp: +233 (0) 20 790 1482

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