The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), in collaboration with AGRA, organised a series of zonal technical backstopping workshops to support Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in integrating youth targeted, agriculture based employment strategies into development planning.
The workshops formed part of a joint NDPC and AGRA initiative aimed at promoting employment-targeted agricultural development as a response to youth unemployment, while also creating opportunities for women and persons with disabilities.
The primary objective of the workshops was to strengthen the technical capacity of planning officers to apply the Toolkit on the Integration of Youth Targeted Agricultural Employment Strategies, developed by NDPC and AGRA, within the planning process. Through interactive reflections, presentations and practical sessions, participants were guided to analyse and integrate key youth unemployment issues across the planning cycle. These included situational analysis, identification and prioritisation of youth employment challenges, formulation of objectives and strategies, development of programmes and projects, and the design of monitoring, evaluation and communication frameworks.
Emphasis was placed on leveraging agriculture and its value chains as viable pathways for sustainable employment creation at the district level.
The workshops were conducted across three zones, namely the Tamale Zone, Cape Coast Zone and Kumasi Zone, between 4 December and 15 December 2025, to ensure nationwide coverage and contextual relevance.
This zonal approach facilitated peer learning and experience sharing among districts, while enabling NDPC and AGRA to provide targeted technical support informed by regional dynamics.
Overall, the workshops enhanced the readiness of MMDAs to mainstream youth targeted agricultural employment strategies into their development plans in a coherent, inclusive and results oriented manner.