George Opare Addo (L) and Richard Nii Armah Quaye
The Chief Executive Officer of RLEQ Group and founder of the RLEQ Foundation, Richard Nii Armah Quaye, has donated GH₵500,000 to the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment to support the fight against opioid abuse among Ghanaian youth.
Speaking at the ministry during the presentation, Quaye commended the ministry for its efforts in improving the lives of young people under the current minister’s leadership.
He noted that a few weeks ago, the minister had called on him to support efforts to combat rape and opioid abuse.
Quaye stated that as a young entrepreneur employing over 4,000 Ghanaian youth, with an average age of 26 years, he had a vested interest in youth development.
He said his experiences across Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone, had shown how opioid abuse could impair young people both mentally and physically, making them unfit for productive work.
He warned that Ghana risked taking the same path if the issue was not addressed urgently, describing the situation as a national threat.
He stressed that the country’s economic fortunes depended on its youth and called for significant attention to be given to the problem.
Explaining the role of his foundation, Quaye said the RLEQ Foundation was established to provide social justice to deprived, forgotten, and marginalised communities.
He added that apart from creating jobs, the foundation had set up food banks in the Greater Accra Region, with plans to expand to all regions.
According to him, the initiative aimed to support people who were unemployed and could not afford basic necessities, thereby reducing the likelihood of them turning to drugs for comfort.
Quaye indicated that the foundation was committed to working closely with the ministry to address opioid abuse among those already affected.
He said the GH₵500,000 donation demonstrated the foundation’s commitment and unwavering support in the fight against opioid abuse and rape.
Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, expressed his gratitude for the donation to help curb the menace.
Marking International Youth Day, the minister reflected on the role of young people in Ghana’s future.
“Our focus is on five main thematic areas, but key in those… is the wellness and wellbeing of young people. No amount of development can take place when the people are not in the best state of mind and health,” he explained.
He emphasised the need for research to fully understand the problem.
“You can address a problem midway through it, but you are able to address it properly when you have a proper understanding of what the root cause of the problem is,” he said. “A lot of the solutions… are ad-hoc… so we commissioned research into understanding what exactly is leading to young people doing this.”
