AfDB-Funded GWYESCO Initiative Set to Target Women and Youth Unemployment in Northern Region

A four-year results-based financing initiative aimed at curbing youth unemployment, promoting female entrepreneurship, and strengthening social cohesion across Northern Ghana is set to be launched following high-level coordination meetings in Tamale.

The Ghana Women and Youth Employment and Social Cohesion Programme (GWYESCO), spanning 2026 to 2029, is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and implemented by the Social Investment Fund (SIF) under the Ministry of Finance.

Details of the multi-year intervention were presented to the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) during a briefing led by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of SIF, Mr Puo-ire Prosper, ahead of a major regional stakeholder consultation scheduled for Monday, September 14, 2026.

Mr Prosper revealed that GWYESCO is structured to break structural barriers to economic inclusion by delivering technical skills training, improving direct access to capital, and backing scalable micro-enterprises for vulnerable demographics.

“The programme directly targets socio-economic vulnerabilities among women and young people. By leveraging a results-based financing model, we ensure that resources are tied directly to measurable job creation, financial empowerment, and sustained community stability,” Mr Prosper stated.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, the Acting Chief Director of the NRCC, Mr Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, pledged the full administrative and logistical backing of the Council and local MMDAs.

Mr Abudu stressed that project success will be measured strictly by tangible economic outcomes rather than administrative processes.

“Empowering women and young people through entrepreneurship and capital access is a prerequisite for long-term social stability and poverty reduction in the region. The NRCC will enforce strict accountability, productivity, and coordination among all local partners to ensure these funds transform lives on the ground,” Mr Abudu affirmed.

The upcoming September 14 engagement will convene traditional authorities, municipal chief executives, civil society organisations, and development partners to harmonise implementation strategies ahead of the rollout.

Bala Ali, ISD