Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, has pledged to take swift action to stabilize the economy and create employment opportunities for the youth.
He emphasized that ensuring young people can find work, live decent lives, and support their families is a top priority for his administration.
Meeting the Ghanaian Community after the Launch of the African Union’s 2025 Theme during the 38th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, President Mahama underscored the urgent need to reset Ghana’s democracy, governance, accountability, and national attitudes.
“It’s become important to do a reset of our democracy, our governance, accountability, and even our attitudes. Because if you look at all the opinion polling that has taken place, it did show that there was an increasing decline in confidence and faith in our democracy,” he stated.
He pointed to the admiration shown towards Burkina Faso’s President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, during his recent visit to Ghana as a wake-up call for democratic leaders.
“And I’m sure that many of you would have noticed the strong applause that the leader of Burkina Faso had when he came for the inauguration. He showed an admiration for the head of an unconstitutional government, and so it shows that it is important for those of us in leadership who tout democracy as the best system of government to step up and make sure that the dividends that our people expect from democracy are received,” he remarked.
Disappointment in Democratic Progress
President Mahama reflected on the optimism that surrounded the adoption of the 1992 Constitution, saying that Ghanaians had high hopes for prosperity, shared growth, and equal opportunities.
However, he admitted that while some progress had been made, expectations have not been fully met.
“In 1992, when we passed a new constitution, we all were excited because we said a new era had come. And I mean, things were going to get better. There was going to be prosperity. And there will be shared growth. Everybody would have opportunities and all that. But unfortunately, it has not met our expectations. I wouldn’t say that progress hasn’t been made,” he said.
He noted that while per capita income has grown and life expectancy has increased, the pace of progress is not fast enough, especially for the expanding youth population.
“Per capita income has grown. Life expectancy has increased, but of course, the pace at which that is happening is not fast enough, especially for our growing youth population,”he noted.
Youth Unemployment: A Major Danger
Describing youth unemployment as a major obstacle and a ticking time bomb, President Mahama highlighted the commitment made under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to achieve 100% primary school enrollment, a target that Ghana nearly met.
“And one of the major obstacles we face, and the major dangers, indeed, is a tinderbox, is the issue of youth unemployment. Because with the Millennium Development Goals, we all committed to 100% enrollment of primary school enrollment. And we achieved it,” he said.
By the end of the MDG period, Ghana had reached 97% enrollment and achieved gender parity, ensuring equal school attendance for boys and girls.
“At the end of the Millennium Development Goals, Ghana was at 97% enrollment. And we had also achieved gender parity in enrollment of boys and girls. As many girls were going to school as boys,” he stated.
However, he lamented that despite this achievement, many graduates still struggle to find employment.
“Now, that cohort that we proudly said we had achieved have gone through primary school, come through secondary school. Some of them are in tertiary education. And they are all coming out now in their numbers, like a conveyor belt in a factory, and they are all coming out and looking for jobs,” he explained.
Failed Government Interventions and the Need for Sustainable Solutions
President Mahama pointed out that Ghana’s economic growth has not been strong enough to generate sufficient job opportunities. He criticized ad hoc and unsustainable government initiatives, citing the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) as a recent example of a failed employment program.
“Unfortunately, the economy has not been growing as fast as it should to be able to throw out the opportunities that they need. Many governments have attempted one thing or the other, but always, it’s been an ad hoc, knee-jerk, not sustainable. And so you have NABCO comes to mind as a recent example. And the students were kept in the program for three years. They have completed it three years, but there’s no transition into automatic jobs,” he said.
Call to Action
President Mahama concluded with a strong appeal for collective efforts to stabilize the economy and ensure the youth have access to meaningful employment opportunities.
“And so it is important that we work as quickly as possible to stabilize things and make sure that our young people are able to find work, to be able to live a decent life, and look after their families,” he urged.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites
) / Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 
