The Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Administration, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, marked her 60th birthday in a heartwarming manner by spending the day with pupils and staff of the Dzorwulu Special School.

The celebration was filled with smiles, love, and compassion as she shared joyful moments with the children, reaffirming her long-standing commitment to inclusivity, the welfare of persons with special needs, and social responsibility.

Speaking during the visit, Nana Oye emphasised the importance of supporting vulnerable groups in society and called on individuals and institutions to continually show kindness and solidarity towards special needs schools across the country.

She further advocated for greater inclusivity and support for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in national development, stressing the need for sustained assistance to ensure their full participation in society.

The visit, which included donations and warm interactions with the pupils, transformed her milestone birthday into a meaningful act of service, leaving a lasting impact on the school community.

Source: myxyzonline.com

The Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, in collaboration with the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, has held a high-level dialogue on global energy transitions and Ghana’s role in the Fossil Fuel Treaty process.

The forum examined how Ghana can shape, and benefit from emerging global frameworks for a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels, while safeguarding livelihoods and national development.

Speaking to the media at the event, the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability said Ghana’s transition strategy is firmly anchored in international agreements the country has signed, including the Montreal Protocol.

According to the Minister, while Ghana recognises the need to transition from fossil fuels, the process must be gradual and tailored to the country’s unique economic realities.

“We are aware that we have to transition, but we have to do so in our own way and at our own pace, bearing in mind our level of dependence on fossil fuels and the livelihoods tied to the petroleum value chain,” the Minister explained.

He noted that both upstream and downstream petroleum activities employ thousands of Ghanaians, making it critical that any transition safeguards jobs and revenue for national development.

“What we do to ensure that revenue from the petroleum industry is secured for development is non-negotiable. Livelihoods dependent on the sector must also be part of the conversation,” he stressed.

The Minister added that Ghana has begun taking practical steps to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, including the promotion of solar-powered vehicles, motorbikes, and tricycles. However, he emphasised that the economic impact on ordinary Ghanaians will remain central to all policy decisions.

“The economic value is critical, and we will not lose sight of that,” he said, assuring that Ghana’s negotiators are well-prepared and committed to integrating national interests into both the negotiation and transition processes.

He further disclosed that Ghanaian negotiators are currently leading the African Group of Negotiators, underscoring the country’s leadership role in shaping Africa’s energy transition agenda.

Also speaking at the event, the Head of Africa Campaigns and Advocacy for the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, Sabula Samuel, said Ghana’s leadership is crucial at a time when Africa continues to grapple with deep energy poverty despite decades of fossil fuel extraction.

Ms Samuel noted that major oil-producing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Nigeria and Angola, have failed to achieve universal energy access under a fossil-fuel-dependent model.

“Africa remains the most energy-poor continent on Earth. About 600 million Africans do not have access to electricity, while nearly one billion people rely on harmful fuels for cooking,” she said.

She added that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than 80 per cent of the global population without access to electricity, despite possessing nearly 40 per cent of the world’s renewable energy potential.

“The fossil fuel model has not powered our continent. It enriches elites but does not reach the people. The energy transition presents a massive opportunity because Africa has unparalleled potential in solar, wind, and hydropower,” Ms Samuel stated.

She called for strong international support to help Ghana and other African countries harness renewable energy to address energy poverty and drive inclusive development.

Source: myxyzonline.com

The Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) has hosted an Informal Waste Worker Exchange aimed at strengthening collaboration and improving working conditions within Ghana’s waste management sector.

The programme brought together informal waste workers, civil society organisations, waste management experts, policymakers, and development partners to discuss challenges affecting the sector and explore sustainable solutions.

Organisers noted that although informal waste workers play a critical role in recycling, waste recovery, and environmental protection, many continue to operate under unsafe conditions with limited social protection and recognition.

The exchange provided a platform for dialogue and knowledge sharing, highlighting the need to integrate informal waste workers into national and local waste management policies.

Discussions focused on occupational health and safety, access to social protection, and the importance of partnerships between government institutions, the private sector, and civil society to strengthen waste management systems.

At the end of the programme, participants proposed recommendations aimed at improving the welfare, recognition, and inclusion of informal waste workers in Ghana’s waste management framework.

GAYO reaffirmed its commitment to promoting inclusive environmental practices and decent work opportunities for marginalised groups.

Source: myxyzonline.com

The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dual Vocational Education Consulting FZCO, Dubai, aimed at strengthening Ghana’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system through industry-led skills development and the integration of emerging technologies.

The MoU was signed at the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment following an engagement between the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Hon. Dr. Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, and Prof. Dr. Rolf J. Eichhorn, Founder of Dual Vocational Education Consulting FZCO.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Pelpuo emphasised that closing Ghana’s skills gap is critical to addressing youth unemployment and supporting economic transformation.

He noted that with hundreds of thousands of young people entering the labour market annually, the country must urgently align education and training with the real needs of industry.

“Our challenge is the transition from learning to work,” the Minister said. “If we continue to train young people without strong links to industry, we risk producing skills that are not relevant to the labour market. This partnership is about ensuring that skills development leads directly to decent jobs.”

The Minister underscored the importance of private sector participation in skills training, noting that industry must be a central partner in curriculum design, workplace learning, and assessment. He added that government alone cannot determine the competencies required in rapidly evolving sectors.

Prof. Dr. Eichhorn, drawing on his experience with Germany’s dual vocational education system and similar reforms in the United Arab Emirates, explained that companies such as BMW and other global firms actively define their skills needs, prompting education systems to continuously update curricula.

He stressed that education must be proactive rather than reactive, particularly as industries transition towards electric mobility, automation, and digitalisation.

Both parties agreed that while international best practices offer valuable lessons, vocational education models must be adapted to local contexts.

The MoU therefore focuses on engaging Ghanaian industries directly to co-develop curricula that reflect local industrial conditions while meeting internationally recognised quality standards.

Source:myxyzonline.com

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has extended its nationwide disaster volunteer reactivation exercise to the Upper East Region as part of efforts to strengthen community-based disaster preparedness and response.

The initiative forms part of a national tour aimed at reactivating Disaster Volunteer Groups (DVGs) in all districts, following several years of inactivity.

The exercise seeks to build a strong grassroots response system that empowers communities to take the lead in disaster prevention, preparedness, and emergency response.

The engagement will bring together regional and district directors of NADMO, disaster coordinators, security agencies, and other key stakeholders, with a focus on improving coordination and strengthening local resilience.

In an interview, the Deputy Director-General in charge of Livelihood Support and Community Empowerment, Albert Alalzuuga Akuka, described the reactivation as more than a programme, stressing that it is a national movement to rebuild local resilience and revive the culture of volunteerism.

“This movement places NADMO in every home, school, workplace, and community, empowering citizens to play an active role in disaster preparedness and response,” he said.

Mr. Akuka explained that the reactivation plan will operate through three key volunteer structures: community-based volunteer groups, institutional volunteer clubs in schools and religious institutions, and agency and civil society volunteers.

He noted that the Upper East Region remains vulnerable to recurring disasters, particularly bushfires and flooding, which in recent years have destroyed thousands of farmlands during the rainy season.

According to him, NADMO will intensify public education, especially among farmers, on sustainable farming practices, including appropriate planting periods and suitable crop selection, to reduce losses during floods.

As part of the initiative, NADMO plans to recruit about 40 volunteers per district and train selected youth, particularly those who can swim, to support rescue operations along riverbanks and other flood-prone areas.

At least two trained swimmers are expected to be equipped per district to assist in emergency response.

Mr. Akuka clarified that while volunteers will not receive direct monetary compensation, they will be supported through livelihood opportunities such as farming and other income-generating activities to enable them to sustain themselves while serving their communities.

He called on stakeholders and the general public to remain committed to the success of the reactivation exercise, emphasising that effective disaster management requires strong local leadership and community participation.

Source:myxyzonline.com

Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has stated that government has commenced a thorough review and audit of all public lands sold in recent years to ensure due process was followed.

During a visit by the Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, to the Ministry on Tuesday, January 27, the Minister said the objective of the exercise is to safeguard public property and ensure the state receives value for money.

He stressed that any transaction found to have violated established protocols or left required procedures incomplete would be declared void.

The Minister explained that the review was prompted by growing concerns that some public lands acquired by the state for specific purposes, such as construction and agriculture, had been illegally sold or mismanaged by officials entrusted with their protection.

He warned that officials found culpable would have their names published in national newspapers and sanctioned to serve as a deterrent.

“We have begun the review process. One of the issues we have all heard about is that public lands acquired by government for specific purposes, including agriculture, have been abused by those tasked with protecting them.

“We have constituted a team led by my able Deputy and secured Cabinet approval to address the matter”.

By the time we are done, it will not cross the mind of any government official to take public lands, because we will publish your name in every newspaper.

“All public lands that have been sold are undergoing review to ensure value for money and that proper process audits were conducted.

Those that did not complete the required processes will be automatically cancelled.

We are committed to implementing this fully to give Ghanaians confidence that public lands will be protected,” he said.

Source: myxyzonline.com