Ghana lacks a deliberate strategy for job creation – Governance expert

Governance expert and public policy analyst, Prof Enoch Opoku-Antwi, has stated that the government appears not to have a well thought-through strategy to generate jobs to address the massive unemployment among the youth.

Sharing his thoughts on the youth unemployment crisis, he made an urgent call to leaders to take action and create real, lasting job opportunities for the young population.

In a passionate discussion on Ghana Tonight on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, the professor argued that “Ghana hasn't done enough to intentionally prepare its young people for the realities of working life, leaving many graduates and school-leavers struggling to find their footing”.

He pointed to how things work in more developed countries, where teenagers gain hands-on experience early.

“In the advanced world, right from middle school to Senior High School, 16-year-olds are already working in places like Subway and learning customer service,” he said.

His comments come amid fresh revelations by the Minister of the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, that there were woefully limited openings available for the masses who are interested in joining the Service.

The minister painted a gloomy picture of the ongoing recruitment drive into Ghana's security services: despite massive interest, the available opportunities could not absorb them all.

Although more than 105,000 applicants have made it through to the medical screening stage, only about 5,000 positions are actually available this year.

“We still have 105,000 who have qualified for medicals. In reality, the total number we can take after medicals is 5,000, so we still face a huge challenge,” he stated.

For countless young Ghanaians who see security sector jobs as one of the few stable paths out of unemployment, the odds feel crushing. Thousands are qualified, but only a tiny fraction will make it in.

Prof Opoku-Antwi voiced deep concern over what he called a troubling “protocol culture” in these recruitments, where connections sometimes trump qualifications.

He shared that he's actively looking into claims that some applicants paid hefty sums to secure spots.

“I am still investigating individuals who said they paid up to GH₵50,000 to be recruited into the security service. Some said GH₵30,000 to some individuals. It may not be politicians but some ‘goro boys’,” he stated.

At the heart of his message was a call for a fundamental shift: a move away from temporary handouts and quick fixes toward genuine, sustainable job creation that taps into the creativity and enthusiasm of Ghanaian youth.

“I would rather find jobs for people rather than give them freebies,” he said.

He painted an optimistic yet urgent picture of many young people who are brimming with innovative ideas and a real desire to contribute to the nation's growth.

What they need, he stressed, are the right tools, skills training, resources, and supportive systems to turn those ideas into businesses, careers, and economic progress.

For Prof Opoku-Antwi, it's not just about policy papers; it's about giving the next generation a fair shot to build a better Ghana, rather than watching their energy and talent go to waste.

NA/VPO

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