Let us also build local capacity to respond to security threats and promote peace – Defence minister

Dr Edward Omane Boamah, the Minister of Defence, has underscored the need to build local capacity to respond to security threats and promote peace, stressing that regional equity in job opportunities is crucial to preventing conflicts and violent extremism.

"Let us also build local capacity to respond to security threats and promote peace. And this includes picking up early warning signs.

"By working together, we can create a more stable and prosperous Sahel region. I commit to supporting the Sahel Peace Initiative. I ask all stakeholders to join us to promote peace, stability and prosperity," he said.

Speaking at the 2nd Sahel Peace Initiative (SPI) National Forum in Accra on July 15, 2025, Dr Boamah revealed that the Ghana Armed Forces had recruited 12,000 young men and women over the last three and a half years, with future recruitment exercises designed to reflect regional balance rather than being concentrated in a few urban centres.

“No matter the number of jobs that will be created, if they are not equitably distributed and are concentrated in just the capitals, that inequality will itself spur conflicts in communities where violent extremists and terrorists may thrive,” he warned.

The forum, organised by the National Catholic Secretariat in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), was themed: “Political Economy of Conflict in Ghana: Addressing Youth Unemployment as a Catalyst for Security and Social Cohesion.”

Dr Boamah urged stakeholders to prioritise inclusivity in job creation and security initiatives, particularly by empowering women and girls in vulnerable communities.

“By empowering women and girls, we can build a more resilient and peaceful society."

The defence minister emphasised that security planning should be participatory, involving local communities to foster trust and ownership of peacebuilding efforts.

Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, Executive Director of the Kaizen Institute for Labour Economics, described youth unemployment as “the greatest social and economic challenge facing Ghana today”, warning that millions of “idle hands” could easily be exploited for political violence if radical interventions are not implemented.

Citing statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service, he revealed that 754,000 young people aged 15 to 24 were unemployed in 2023, while 1.25 million were neither in employment, education nor training (NEET).

“Keeping more than a million idle hands can be disastrous. We have to address unemployment urgently to sustain the relative peace we are currently enjoying in Ghana,” Dr Baah cautioned.

He proposed a new national consensus on job creation, backed by a social contract between citizens and political leaders.

He also hailed the recently launched 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, which is projected to create 827,000 new jobs within two years and 5.2 million by 2034, as a potential “game-changer” if sustained beyond electoral cycles.

Delivering her address, Anna Lena Sabroso-Wasserfall, Country Director of KAS, stressed that Ghana’s stability does not make it immune to the growing cross-border insecurity in the Sahel.

She warned that youth unemployment erodes trust in democratic institutions and fuels extremism, citing examples from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

“If we want to build lasting peace across borders, then we must tackle the root causes that transcend borders. Youth cannot remain on the sidelines; they must be partners in designing solutions,” she said.

Ms Wasserfall urged Ghana to draw lessons from successful initiatives in neighbouring countries, such as Togo’s Savanes Emergency Programme and Niger’s Tillabéry model, which combined military operations with youth-inclusive local development projects to reduce violence.

Most Reverend Matthew K Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, reiterated that youth unemployment is a matter of national security, stressing that peace cannot be built on slogans but through well-articulated, inclusive policies.

The SPI Forum concluded with a call for collaboration among government, civil society, traditional authorities, and faith-based organisations to tackle unemployment as a key driver of insecurity and to ensure sustained peace and stability in Ghana and the Sahel region.









AM/KA

GhanaWeb Special: The gold market that fuels galamsey