Ghana is facing a crisis that can no longer be ignored.
Youth unemployment, weak livelihoods, and deepening rural poverty are creating a dangerous situation.
The Ghana Statistical Service’s 2023 Labour Force Report paints a grim picture: nearly 39 percent of young people are unemployed.
Of those working, two-thirds are stuck in vulnerable jobs—poorly paid, unstable, and with no social protection.
Over 1.25 million youth are not working, not in school, and not in training.
For Ghana, this is more than statistics. It is a ticking time bomb.
Leaders and experts are sounding the alarm. Youth Minister George Opare Addo has described youth unemployment as a “time bomb” threatening national stability.
He warned that 68 percent of employed youth are in insecure jobs and called for urgent action.
Professor Justice Bawole of the University of Ghana Graduate Business School says government youth initiatives are well-intentioned but lack proper funding, clear outcomes, and genuine youth involvement.
International voices share the concern.
At a recent forum in Accra, Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung Country Director, Anna Lena Sabroso-Wasserfall, said youth unemployment is not just an economic crisis but also a security threat. Late Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah linked rural poverty and lack of jobs to rising violent extremism across Ghana and the Sahel. His message was blunt: “Boardroom talk is not enough. Communities must be heard.”
The crisis is hitting rural areas hardest. In Upper East and Savannah regions, unemployment among the youth has reached nearly 40 percent.
With subsistence farming still the main livelihood, opportunities are limited. Many young people see no path out of poverty.
Government is trying to respond. President Mahama has created a Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment.
New programmes include national apprenticeships, coding training for one million youth over four years, and start-up funding through the Adwumawura Project. International partners such as GIZ and Mastercard Foundation are supporting Ghana’s apprenticeship programme, which trains young people in trades like solar panel installation, agritech, logistics, plumbing, and ICT.
On paper, these are promising steps. But problems remain. Many graduates discover their qualifications do not match what employers need.
Apprenticeship schemes are too small and lack proper standards. Entrepreneurship initiatives are slowed down by bureaucracy and poor monitoring.
Politics makes things worse.
Too often, new governments abandon or weaken programmes started by their predecessors.
In some cases, trained youth workers are dismissed simply to create space for party loyalists.
When the Mahama-led government came into office, many young workers under earlier programmes were removed. This cycle of politicisation undermines progress and frustrates young people who only want to work.
So, what can be done? Experts say universities and colleges must refocus courses toward Ghana’s real needs: logistics, renewable energy, agritech, ICT, and digital services.
Apprenticeships must be expanded, formalised, and linked directly to employers.
Vocational trades—solar technicians, carpenters, agricultural machinery operators—should be supported with certification and career pathways.
Youth-led innovation is another key.
Young entrepreneurs need seed capital, incubators, mentorship, and access to markets.
If well-funded and transparent, initiatives like Adwumawura and the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP) can transform local economies.
Coordination is also critical. Ministries, businesses, civil society, and youth groups must work together. Programmes must be monitored for real impact.
As policy experts at the Accra forum stressed, solutions cannot only be planned from Accra boardrooms.
They must also come from communities—in Aflao, Hohoe, Nkwanta—where the unemployment crisis is most severe.
Despite the grim statistics, hope is not lost. Ghana has resilient youth and strong institutions.
Under President Mahama, youth unemployment is finally on the national agenda.
If programmes are well-managed, aligned with labour market needs, and free from political interference, Ghana’s youth can move from job seekers to job creators.
Opportunities in agritech, renewable energy, and digital services can spark a new future.
The message is clear. Ghana’s youth are not a problem; they are the solution.
Give them skills, support, and opportunity, and they will drive prosperity, equality, and peace.
The crisis is urgent, but it is not insurmountable.
The future of Ghana depends on its young people—and with the right action, they can deliver the future this nation deserves.
The writer is a Social Commentator based in the United Kingdom
Kuffuor_collins@yahoo.com
