The African Youth Conference on Natural Resource and Environmental Governance (AYC-NREG 2025) in Accra witnessed a powerful call to action as Hon. Paul Twum-Barimah, former Member of Parliament for Dormaa East and a fearless advocate for climate justice, urged the creation of a National Youth Green Finance Facility to liberate Ghana’s youth from the shackles of unemployment and underfunding.
Before an audience of over 2,000 youth leaders, entrepreneurs, government officials, financiers, and development partners, Twum-Barimah’s message was clear: the time has come for Ghana’s young people to be leaders, not spectators, in the nation’s green transition.
“We cannot continue to allow Ghana’s youth to remain on the sidelines of the energy transition and climate action,” he declared, his voice rising with conviction. “By establishing a National Youth Green Finance Facility, we will de-risk youth ventures, open access to affordable capital, and position young entrepreneurs as the vanguard of our sustainable future.”
His words struck at the heart of one of Ghana’s greatest contradictions: a nation rich in green minerals, renewable energy potential, and agricultural opportunity, yet starved of bold investment in the creativity and innovation of its youth. For too long, brilliant climate-smart ideas have withered, not for lack of vision, but for lack of finance.
Twum-Barimah painted a hopeful alternative. The Facility, he said, could:
Provide concessional loans, grants, and guarantees designed for youth-led businesses;
Partner with both local banks and global climate financiers like the Green Climate Fund and African Development Bank;
Ensure inclusive financing that uplifts young women, rural entrepreneurs, and persons with disabilities;
Build a new generation of investment-ready businesses driving Ghana’s future.
With passion, he called on government, banks, investors, and development partners to rise to the challenge and rally behind the vision of a youth-driven green economy.
“Green finance is not just about climate action,” he reminded the audience. “It is about jobs, innovation, and dignity for Ghana’s youth. The Facility will ensure that our young people are not just beneficiaries of policy but the very drivers of our nation’s sustainable growth.”
As the applause filled the conference hall, it was evident that Twum-Barimah’s call had touched a nerve. His words resonated not only as policy but as a plea for generational justice — a demand that the brilliance of Ghana’s young people no longer be stifled by barriers to opportunity.
Under the theme “Transforming Africa’s Natural Resource Governance Through Youth-Led Solutions”, AYC-NREG 2025 is amplifying the voices of Africa’s youth. And on this day, Twum-Barimah gave those voices a rallying cry: to rise, to innovate, and to lead Ghana’s march into a greener, more dignified future.
