Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has proposed a five-point strategy to address the country’s worsening youth unemployment, warning that existing interventions are failing to deliver results.
Contributing to a statement on unemployment on the floor of Parliament yesterday, the Ofoase-Ayirebi MP described youth joblessness as one of the country’s most pressing socio-economic challenges and urged a more effective and accountable approach to job creation.
“Mr. Speaker, we do not need more slogans or promises that results are in the pipeline. We need a more effective architecture to solve the worsening youth unemployment problem of our country. Data from the Statistical Service is clear. The youth unemployment problem is getting worse. The time to act is now,” he said.
Citing Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) figures, Oppong Nkrumah noted that unemployment among persons aged 15 to 24 rose from 32% in December 2024 to 32.5% by the third quarter of 2025.
He added that nearly two million young Ghanaians are currently not in education, employment, or training, with almost half of youth in the Greater Accra Region unemployed.
While acknowledging that successive governments have struggled with the issue, he stressed the need to move beyond promises to practical solutions. “Ghanaian youth do not want slogans. They want feasible programmes that create dignified, productive and well-paid jobs,” he stated.
As part of his proposals, the Minority lawmaker called for the publication of delivery scorecards for all job creation programmes.
He said initiatives should be measured against clear indicators, including number of beneficiaries, cost per job created, time-to-placement, and employment retention.
He also urged a clear distinction between skills training programmes and actual job creation efforts, arguing that training alone cannot solve unemployment if there are no opportunities for beneficiaries.
Oppong Nkrumah advocated a shift from government-led financing to greater private sector participation in job creation.
Government, he said, should focus on reducing investment risks, co-investing in strategic sectors, and creating a conducive regulatory environment, while private capital drives large-scale employment growth.
The MP further recommended making apprenticeship programmes the backbone of Ghana’s youth employment strategy through national certification, employer support, and structured pathways into employment or entrepreneurship.
He called for the establishment of a credible Labour Market Information System to provide timely data on vacancies, skills gaps, and labour demand across the country to support evidence-based policymaking.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah emphasised that the worsening unemployment situation demands urgent action from policymakers and stakeholders.
“We do not need more slogans or promises that results are in the pipeline. We need a more effective architecture to solve the worsening youth unemployment problem of our country,” he said.
He concluded by urging government to adopt bold and measurable reforms to reverse the trend and unlock opportunities for the country’s growing youth population.
A Daily Guide Report