The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has expressed deep concern about the escalating issue of youth unemployment in Ghana, cautioning that this could have significant implications for the upcoming elections.
Speaking before Parliament, Speaker Bagbin emphasized the pressing need for swift and decisive action from political leaders to tackle this critical challenge.
He called for a united front to address the situation urgently, warning of severe consequences for the country if effective measures are not promptly implemented.
“The joblessness, the homelessness and the hopelessness of the youth cannot be taken lightly. We must act together and now to prevent a journey to calamity or a journey of no return,” he stated.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has reported that Ghana’s youth unemployment rate was 7.16% in 2023, with a particularly acute issue among individuals aged 15 to 24.
In its updated 2024 Africa Economic Outlook, the bank highlighted that unemployment was notably higher among women in this age group compared to men.
The report also indicated a slight increase in multidimensional poverty, rising from 46% in 2017 to 46.7% in 2022, largely attributed to the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Data revealed that female youth unemployment reached 36.7%, while the rate for males was 29.3%.
The rising youth unemployment in Ghana has become a growing concern, leading to calls for intensified structural transformation.
Speaker Bagbin also urged the government to restrict the military’s role in overseeing the upcoming election, emphasizing that their involvement should be limited to assisting the police only when necessary.
“We don’t want to see the military during elections. When there is the need to call them, they will be called. But they should not be at polling or voting centres,” he added.