Refugee Youth Empowerment Takes Center Stage at World Refugee Economic Summit in Accra

 

Accra came alive, as government officials, humanitarian agencies, private sector leaders, and faith-based groups gathered for the World Refugee Economic Summit (WRES).

The event, held at The Avi Airport Hotel on the theme “Leveraging Community as a Superpower to Build Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities for Refugee Youth”, called for stronger action to move refugees from dependency to economic self-reliance.

With global displacement at record highs, over 43.3 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate as of mid-2024, the summit spotlighted Ghana’s role in providing both protection and opportunity for the nearly 15,000 refugees and asylum seekers it hosts.

Appiah Wiafe Adofo, Country Director of World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Ghana, urged stakeholders to mainstream refugee inclusion into national development strategies. “We cannot talk about sustainable development without intentionally including refugees… They are not just beneficiaries but builders of their own futures and contributors to national progress,” she said.

A major policy announcement came from the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB). Its CEO, Tetteh Padi, revealed that eligible refugees will soon be issued official non-citizen ID cards to help them access financial services and formal jobs. This, he said, aligns with the National Identification Authority’s law requiring long-term foreign residents to be registered. The Ghana Immigration Service also pledged continued collaboration to smooth access to legal documents.

Personal testimonies highlighted the urgency of reforms. Cameroonian refugee Trust Ngulefac Tamonkla, who has lived in Ghana for six years, described the hurdles in securing work permits. “We need consistent efforts to remove barriers that hold us back from contributing fully to society,” he said.

Private sector voices reinforced the case for opportunity-driven inclusion. Mercy Kusiwaa Frimpong of the Amahoro Coalition disclosed that more than 33,000 job pledges for refugees across Africa had been secured at the recent Africa Forum on Displacement in Nairobi. “Refugees are not burdens. They are doctors, coders, agripreneurs, teachers, and technicians who fled conflict, not their skills,” she emphasized.

The Mastercard Foundation’s Country Director, Rica Regan, reiterated the Foundation’s commitment to supporting refugee youth with entrepreneurship and employability skills. “By equipping displaced youth with tools for entrepreneurship and employment, we lay the foundation for long-term growth and peace,” she said.

As the summit drew to a close, one message rang clear: refugees are part of Ghana’s development solution, not an obstacle. Stakeholders resolved to push beyond short-term aid, accelerating policy reforms and investing in long-term socio-economic integration.