The Managing Director of FBN Bank, Victor Yaw Asante, says 2022 will be a year for the youth of the country, with the age category featuring topmost on the agenda of many, including the bank and the government.
Speaking to the media on his views of the recently read budget, Mr. Asante said: “From the plans revealed by the Minister of Finance, there seems to be a focus on the youth. This development is welcomed by FBN Bank, as it is in line with our own agenda for the coming year.”
Explaining further, he added: “The youth are a key demographic group in Ghana and also across Africa. In Ghana we have about 57 percent of our population categorised as being under 25 years, and this number certainly increases when you raise the age benchmark for youth to 30 years. With such a significant percentage of our population in the youth bracket, it is imperative that they are catered for in any developmental plan.”
He continued: “FBN Bank Ghana has accordingly factored them in our plans for 2022. Issues like career development, training, mentorship and entrepreneurship all feature prominently in what FBN Bank seeks to offer the youth of Ghana next year. In the area of business, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are a key focus, and over the years we have been delivering significant value to that segment. With our focus on the youth, we believe we are best placed to support young entrepreneurs who decide to venture into self-employment with not just products but also the relevant skills and advice to ensure that they succeed.”
The 2022 budget statement, themed “Building a sustainable entrepreneurial nation: fiscal consolidation and job creation” and presented last month by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, outlined the government’s plan to address one of the major problems facing the country: youth unemployment.
According to Mr. Asante, young persons need to have a clear plan or vision of what they seek to do or achieve. He said they also need to be prepared to learn or undergo a period of apprenticeship.
“If a young person decides to be an entrepreneur, for example, he or she must have a good idea of what the business entails and how to go about it. In addition to these, they must be committed and be relentless in their push. These are some of the issues we would expect young persons to pay attention to.”
