The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Nanton, Hon. Abdul Rahaman Zenabu Rosina, has urged young people to embrace environmental conservation and green entrepreneurship as practical ways of addressing youth unemployment and promoting sustainable economic development in the Northern Region.
She made the call when she delivered an address on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John, at the Ghanaian Youth Summit 2026 on Environmental Conservation and Green Jobs held on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale.
Speaking on the theme, βEmpowering Young People for Environmental Conservation, Green Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Job Creation,β Hon. Abdul Rahaman Zenabu Rosina described the summit as timely, noting that environmental protection and youth employment were interconnected development priorities.
The Nanton DCE commended the Centre for Opportunities and Rural Development (CORD Ghana) and UDS for organising the summit to bring together young people, policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs, civil society organisations and development partners to discuss environmental sustainability and employment opportunities.
She highlighted the Northern Region’s potential in agriculture, livestock production, renewable energy, agro-processing, waste management and environmental restoration, but observed that youth unemployment, land degradation, deforestation, irregular rainfall and environmental pollution remained significant challenges.
Hon. Rosina explained that environmental degradation had contributed to declining soil fertility, pressure on natural vegetation, bushfires and inadequate waste management, increasing the vulnerability of farming communities to climate-related shocks.
She urged young people to view these challenges as opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation, stressing that they should become active partners, innovators and agents of change rather than depend solely on government interventions.
The Nanton DCE identified compost production from organic waste, plastic recycling, sustainable packaging, solar energy installation, tree nurseries and agroforestry as viable business opportunities that could generate income while protecting the environment.
She further encouraged young people to explore climate-smart agriculture, irrigation services, food processing, agricultural waste utilisation, briquette production and renewable-energy-powered cold storage as emerging areas for green enterprise development.
Hon. Rosina said the government’s economic transformation and job-creation agenda under President John Dramani Mahama recognised the importance of investing in young people through skills development, entrepreneurship support and productive employment opportunities.
She highlighted the Adwumawura Programme, implemented through the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, as an initiative that supports young entrepreneurs with business training, mentorship and assistance to establish and grow their enterprises.
The Nanton DCE also encouraged eligible young people to take advantage of the National Apprenticeship Programme to acquire technical and vocational skills in areas such as solar installation, electrical systems, equipment maintenance, sustainable agriculture and waste recovery. She directed interested applicants to the official portal at [https://nap.nya.gov.gh/nap/](https://nap.nya.gov.gh/nap/).
Hon. Rosina called for collective efforts to protect natural vegetation, prevent bushfires, restore degraded lands, improve waste management, protect water bodies and reduce plastic pollution, emphasising that environmental conservation required the involvement of government agencies, traditional authorities, District Assemblies, schools, businesses and community organisations.
She urged young people to establish environmental clubs, community restoration initiatives, recycling enterprises and volunteer networks to translate environmental awareness into practical action, adding that environmental protection and economic progress must reinforce each other.
Hon. Rosina concluded by commending CORD Ghana and UDS for organising the summit and expressed the hope that the deliberations would produce practical solutions to environmental challenges, promote green entrepreneurship and create sustainable employment opportunities for young people in the Northern Region and Ghana as a whole.