Offinso Chief launches entrepreneurship drive to tackle youth unemployment in Ashanti

The Offinso Traditional Council has intensified its push to address persistent unemployment and economic stagnation affecting the Offinso South Municipality in the Ashanti Region, unveiling a dual strategy combining infrastructure support and youth entrepreneurship programmes.

Development chief Dr. Nana Adu Gyamfi Kunmanin Berima Kesse I spearheaded the initiative by donating heavy-duty equipment including tractors and bulldozers to the municipality, aimed at accelerating infrastructure projects whilst simultaneously generating employment opportunities for residents. The donation underscores growing concern within traditional leadership circles about limited economic prospects for young people and marginalised groups across the municipality.

"We are committed to supporting development in Offinso and creating opportunities for our people," Dr. Adu Gyamfi stated. "The equipment we have donated will help improve infrastructure, support local projects and provide jobs for the youth. We believe development must directly benefit the people and create a better future for our communities."

SHAMOR Foundation: A new blueprint for youth empowerment

Complementing the equipment donation, Dr. Adu Gyamfi launched the SHAMOR Movement for Change Foundation, a locally-rooted initiative designed to equip young entrepreneurs with the practical and financial tools needed to establish viable businesses. The Foundation plans to provide start-up capital, equipment, and training to aspiring young business owners, directly addressing the entrepreneurship gap that has limited self-employment opportunities in the municipality.

This approach recognises a critical gap in Ghana's development strategy: whilst national unemployment statistics remain concerning, many young people lack access to foundational resources—seed money, equipment, and business mentorship—necessary to launch enterprises. By focusing on Offinso, the Foundation seeks to demonstrate a replicable model for community-led economic empowerment.

"The SHAMOR Foundation is designed to give young people the support they need to start and grow their own businesses," the chief explained. "Through start-up capital, tools, and training, we want to help them become self-reliant, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to the development of Offinso."

Why it matters for Ghana: A microcosm of national economic challenges

Offinso's unemployment crisis reflects broader structural challenges confronting Ghana's economy. Youth unemployment rates remain stubbornly elevated across the country, with limited job creation in the formal sector and inadequate support systems for informal entrepreneurship. Many young Ghanaians, particularly in smaller municipalities outside Accra and Kumasi, face constrained opportunities and limited access to capital, forcing migration or prolonged underemployment.

The Offinso initiative gains additional significance given Ghana's ongoing search for inclusive development models. Traditional authorities, historically sidelined in economic planning, are repositioning themselves as catalysts for grassroots development. This partnership between traditional leadership, private donors, and entrepreneurship initiatives offers a potentially valuable template for other municipalities grappling with similar challenges.

Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Founder of the Movement for Change, who attended the ceremony, reinforced the national dimension of this effort. He characterised unemployment as one of Ghana's defining challenges and pledged that job creation and business support would form core pillars of his policy platform should he contest the 2028 presidential election.

"Unemployment remains one of the biggest challenges facing Ghana, particularly for our young people," Kyerematen stated. "We must create an environment where businesses can grow, entrepreneurs can access support, and the private sector can generate decent and sustainable jobs."

The convergence of traditional authority leadership, civil society engagement, and political commitment at the Offinso event signals shifting expectations around how Ghana might tackle its employment crisis—not solely through top-down government programmes, but through coordinated action at the community level, combining infrastructure development with entrepreneurial capacity-building.