I’ll curb the Kayayei menace – Northern Regional Minister-Designate -

Ali Adolf John, the Minister-Designate for the Northern Region, has pledged his commitment to addressing the persistent Kayayei phenomenon, which has seen many young women from northern Ghana migrating to urban areas in search of menial jobs as head porters.

Speaking during his vetting on Thursday, January 23, Mr Adolf assured the Appointments Committee and the public that finding a lasting solution to this issue would be a top priority should he be approved.

The nominee outlined his strategy to collaborate with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) across the Northern Region to tackle the root causes of the Kayayei menace.

Recognising that the problem stems from limited economic opportunities in the north, Mr. Adolf stressed the importance of creating a more attractive and sustainable environment for residents to discourage mass migration to cities like Accra and Kumasi.

The minister-designate emphasised the need for skill development and employment generation as key components of his plan.

He highlighted the introduction of apprenticeship and vocational training programmes designed to equip the youth, particularly young women, with skills that could provide them with sustainable livelihoods within their home communities.

According to Mr Adolf, these programmes would include initiatives in tailoring, hairdressing, farming, and other income-generating ventures tailored to meet the needs of the local economy.

“The Kayayei menace is a problem that did not start today and the best I can do is to make the home a very attractive place so that we don’t have people migrating from the north.

“We will ensure that every DCE does their best to stop the migration and every year, we will distribute materials so that these people can be trained.”