Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, has pinpointed youth unemployment as the most critical national security challenge confronting Ghana. She argues that the pervasive lack of opportunities for young people creates a breeding ground for social unrest, crime, and potentially, violent extremism. This vulnerability, she emphasizes, poses a more significant danger to the nation’s stability than traditional security threats like external aggression or internal conflict. Moghiri contends that an idle and frustrated youth population is easily susceptible to manipulation by criminal elements or extremist ideologies, thereby jeopardizing the peace and security of the entire nation. The lack of economic prospects, coupled with feelings of marginalization and disenfranchisement, can ignite social unrest and destabilize the country, requiring extensive resources and effort to control.
Moghiri, reflecting on the Mahama administration’s approach, expressed confidence in their strategic plan to tackle youth unemployment. She highlighted the administration’s emphasis on skills development, entrepreneurship promotion, and job creation initiatives as key components of their strategy. The focus on equipping young people with marketable skills, she argues, was aimed at bridging the gap between education and employment, ensuring that graduates possessed the practical competencies needed by the market. Furthermore, she underlined the government’s efforts to foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem, providing access to capital, incubation programs, and mentorship opportunities to encourage young people to start and grow their own businesses, thereby creating employment for themselves and others.
The Mahama administration, according to Moghiri, prioritized investment in sectors with high job creation potential, such as agriculture, infrastructure development, and manufacturing. These investments were intended to stimulate economic growth and create a ripple effect, generating employment opportunities across various sectors. The emphasis on agriculture, for instance, was designed not only to enhance food security but also to provide sustainable livelihoods for rural youth, stemming the tide of rural-urban migration and its associated challenges. Similarly, investments in infrastructure development, such as roads, railways, and energy projects, not only aimed to improve connectivity and facilitate trade but also to create jobs in the construction and related industries.
Moghiri emphasizes the crucial role of public-private partnerships in addressing youth unemployment. She argues that effective collaboration between the government and the private sector is essential for creating a dynamic and responsive job market. The private sector, as the primary engine of job creation, she notes, needs to be actively engaged in the development and implementation of youth employment programs. This collaboration, she asserts, enables the government to leverage the private sector’s expertise, resources, and market insights to design programs that are aligned with industry needs and ensure the employability of young people.
Moghiri acknowledges that addressing youth unemployment is a complex and multifaceted challenge requiring a long-term, multi-pronged approach. She stresses the need for sustained commitment from all stakeholders, including government, the private sector, civil society organizations, and the youth themselves. She advocates for continuous monitoring and evaluation of youth employment programs to ensure their effectiveness and adaptability to the changing needs of the job market. Moghiri further emphasizes the importance of investing in education and training systems that are responsive to the demands of the 21st-century economy, producing graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
Ultimately, Moghiri sees tackling youth unemployment not merely as an economic imperative but as a crucial investment in Ghana’s future. By empowering young people with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed, she argues, Ghana can unlock its full potential for growth and development. A productive and engaged youth population, she contends, is not only essential for economic prosperity but also crucial for building a stable, secure, and democratic society. The consequences of failing to address this challenge, she warns, are dire, potentially leading to social unrest, crime, and instability, undermining the very foundations of the nation’s progress.
