The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has pledged its support for veteran Nigerian actor Pete Edochie’s African Youth Mentorship Initiative, a programme designed to inspire, mentor and develop the talents of young people across Africa.
The commitment was announced when Edochie paid a courtesy call on the Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, at the Board’s headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, October 6.
The mentorship programme forms part of Edochie’s broader African Legacy Project, which includes a new book, a documentary film and a youth development initiative targeting about 500,000 young Africans.
Gyamfi said the initiative aligns with GoldBod’s existing Special Intervention Projects (SIP), which focus on areas such as mentorship, skills training and entrepreneurship.
“We count ourselves in. We’ll be part and parcel of this inspiring project because we have the youth at heart,” Mr. Gyamfi stated.
He described Edochie’s decision to use his decades-long career and personal experiences to mentor young Africans as commendable, noting that the project extends beyond entertainment to address issues of personal development, leadership and Africa’s future.
A significant revelation during the meeting was that GoldBod and its work are featured in Edochie’s new book.
Mr. Gyamfi said he was both surprised and honoured by the inclusion, describing it as evidence of Edochie’s growing interest in Africa’s economic development and the responsible management of the continent’s natural resources.
According to him, Edochie’s advocacy demonstrates that his contribution to Africa extends beyond his decades-long career in the film industry.
He particularly highlighted the actor’s advocacy for Africans to exercise greater sovereignty over the continent’s mineral resources and ensure that natural wealth contributes meaningfully to the development of African societies.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for Sammy Gyamfi to outline government’s efforts to transform Ghana’s gold sector since the establishment of GoldBod in October 2025.
He said Ghana repatriated US$10.8 billion from gold in 2025, while the cedi appreciated by 41 per cent against the US dollar during the year.
He further stated that Ghana ended the year with 5.7 months of import cover, while inflation declined from 23.3 per cent to about five per cent.
Mr. Gyamfi attributed the developments, in part, to measures aimed at giving Ghana greater control over the trading and management of its gold resources and ensuring that the proceeds from the country’s mineral wealth benefit the Ghanaian population.
The engagement between GoldBod and Edochie brings together three important themes: African cultural legacy, youth empowerment and economic sovereignty.
For Edochie, the African Legacy Project represents an effort to convert decades of experience in the entertainment industry into a platform for shaping the next generation.
For GoldBod, supporting the mentorship initiative provides an opportunity to complement its existing youth-focused interventions while reinforcing the broader conversation around Africa’s ability to manage its resources and determine its own development path.
The collaboration signals a shared interest in empowering young Africans not only with knowledge and mentorship, but also with a stronger understanding of the continent’s cultural heritage, economic potential and responsibility for its future.
By: Evelyn Tengmaa
