Development expert outlines blueprint to operationalise Ghana’s 24-hour economy

Ghana's development expert emphasizes the need for a strategic approach to operationalize the country's 24-hour economy, addressing the urgent unemployment crisis. The Ghana Statistical Service reports a decrease in overall unemployment from 14.7% in 2023 to 13.0%, but youth unemployment (ages 15-35) has risen to 21.9%, meaning one in three young people remains unemployed.

This situation is particularly dire in Volta and Central Tongu, where unemployment is relatively lower but still significant, and underemployment and job insecurity are prevalent.

The expert argues that citizens must support the government in turning the situation around, highlighting the potential of local resources such as water bodies, clay deposits, arable land, and untapped tourism sites. He recalls the 2024 NDC manifesto's emphasis on Local Economic Development (LED), which can generate revenue for MMDAs and create jobs by leveraging local assets.

Drawing from his own experience in Central Tongu, the expert recounts the success of the Job Creation—Youth Enterprise Support (YES) initiative in 2015/2016, which mobilized youth through education, business planning, and support. Despite the initiative's early success, it was abandoned when the NDC lost the election in 2016.

In response, the government has redesigned the Youth Enterprise Support program into the National Entrepreneurial and Innovation Programme (NEIP), providing policy support for job creation. The expert encourages the community to take ownership of these policies, starting with pilot projects and resource mobilization. He stresses the importance of technical and managerial skills to sustain self-made jobs, cautioning against the pitfalls of inadequate capacity building that led to the collapse of previous interventions.

The expert urges leaders to take a more aggressive approach in implementing these policies to benefit Ghana's youth.