Youth are partners in development, not leaders of tomorrow — MiDA CEO, Alexander Kofi-Mensah Mould

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Alexander Kofi-Mensah Mould, has urged Ghana’s youth to reject the perception that they are only “leaders of tomorrow,” insisting that they are critical partners in the country’s development journey today.

He said Ghana’s progress would depend not only on its natural resources but more importantly on the capabilities, values, and ability of its citizens to turn ideas into action.

“The future is not built tomorrow. It is built today; in classrooms, laboratories, workshops, businesses, communities and universities,” Mr. Mould said while delivering a keynote address at the University of Education, Winneba’s Seminar on Conflict and Nation Building.

The seminar, held on the theme, “The Role of Youth as Partners for Growth and Development in Africa,” brought together students, academics, and stakeholders to discuss the contribution of young people to national transformation.

Mr. Mould argued that prosperous nations are built through deliberate investments in human capital, effective institutions and disciplined execution rather than dependence on natural resources.

Citing countries including Singapore, South Korea, Finland and Botswana, he said successful economies had achieved growth by developing capable people and creating systems that convert ideas into results.

“Resources create potential. Capability converts potential into prosperity,” he stated.

According to him, development should be understood as “the sustained increase in a nation’s ability to solve its own problems,” adding that innovation, productivity, and execution were central to achieving long-term prosperity.

He challenged universities across Africa to move beyond producing graduates and focus on nurturing nation-builders equipped to address real-world challenges.

Mr. Mould said graduates must develop five essential capabilities — critical thinking, execution, value creation, collaboration and strong character — if they are to contribute meaningfully to national development.

“Ideas alone do not build nations. Execution does,” he said, stressing that implementation remained a major challenge for many countries despite having strong policies and development plans.

Addressing students directly, the MiDA Acting CEO encouraged them to shift their mindset from searching only for employment opportunities to developing skills that enable them to solve problems and create value.

He urged young people to replace the question, “Where can I find a job?” with “What problem can I learn to solve?”

“Capability creates opportunity. Capability creates enterprises. Capability creates industries. Capability creates prosperity,” he emphasised.

Mr. Mould also highlighted the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority, Edudzi Tamakloe, as an example of young Africans already contributing to national development.

He said Mr. Tamakloe’s role demonstrated that age should not prevent young people from taking up leadership responsibilities, driving innovation and serving their communities.

The MiDA Acting CEO called on the youth to reject complacency, entitlement and blame, and instead embrace responsibility, integrity and a culture of excellence.

He said the measure of today’s generation would not be determined by the number of speeches delivered or conferences attended, but by the institutions strengthened, opportunities created and impact made.

“The Ghana you hope for will not appear because someone else imagined it. It will appear because your generation prepares for it, builds it, protects it and improves it,” Mr. Mould said.