TWO MILLION YOUNG GHANAIANS ARE IDLE: CDS AFRICA CALLS FOR A NATIONAL YOUTH OPPORTUNITY COMPACT

CDS Africa is deeply concerned that nearly two million young Ghanaians are neither working, studying, nor learning a trade. The Ghana Statistical Service’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey reports that about 1.95 million people aged 15 to 35, representing 19.5 percent of the youth population, were not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in 2025. In the third quarter, unemployment among those aged 15 to 24 reached 32.4 percent, more than twice the national rate of 13.0 percent.

These figures point to more than a weak labor market. They represent output the nation will never recover, livelihoods put on hold, and growing frustration that can fuel crime, perilous migration and political manipulation. Each year we leave this talent idle, the costs compound: skills fade, earnings shrink, and the tax base needed to sustain future growth grows narrower.

Young women bear the greatest burden. The 2023 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the latest data broken down by sex, found that women made up 1.2 million of the 1.9 million NEET youth, more than 60 percent of the total. Early pregnancy, unpaid care work, limited access to land and finance, and restrictive social norms keep many capable young women out of the economy. Any youth employment policy not deliberately designed to include women will fail to serve most of the people it claims to serve.

Geography deepens the problem. Every region except Bono East recorded NEET rates in the double digits, with the North East among the country’s highest. Programs designed and managed in Accra too often reach those already closest to opportunity. Skills, credit, and markets must reach young people where they live, not just where ministries are based.

CDS Africa acknowledges the youth employment and skills initiatives already underway. However, these efforts remain fragmented, poorly targeted, and rarely evaluated. Ghana does not lack programs; it lacks a coherent compact that brings opportunity to the districts and measures results.

We therefore urge government, Parliament and the private sector to act on five priorities:

1. District Youth Opportunity Hubs: Transform existing NVTI centers and TVET facilities into hubs in every district, linking training to local value chains, including agro-processing, construction, digital services, and the creative economy.
2. Expand access to credit for young people by establishing a partial credit guarantee for enterprises owned by young people and women. Deliver the guarantee through rural and community banks, savings and loan companies, and mobile money platforms, while allowing for flexible collateral requirements.
3. Create markets through public procurement by reserving a defined proportion of district assembly and central government purchases, including school feeding, uniforms, and furniture, for registered enterprises owned by young people and women.
4. A dedicated pathway for young women, offering childcare at training centers, flexible scheduling, and structured support for young mothers returning to education or employment.
5. Accountability for Results: Publish annual district-level NEET data and commission independent evaluations of each youth employment program, linking future funding to verified outcomes.

We urge the Ministry of Finance to incorporate these priorities into the 2027 Budget and call on Parliament to assess youth employment expenditure against measurable outcomes. Traditional authorities, faith-based organizations, employers, and civil society should also contribute, because addressing this challenge requires a collective effort.

Ghana’s young people are not a burden to be managed; they are the nation’s greatest asset. CDS Africa supports the efforts of the government, development partners, and communities to ensure that every young Ghanaian has equal opportunities, regardless of their location or gender.