Ghana has launched a new Ghana–Japan public-private partnership to strengthen the country’s response to child labour, in a move authorities say will combine child protection, social support and innovation to address one of the country’s most persistent development challenges.
The initiative, launched in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and UNICEF, is expected to support vulnerable children and caregivers while reinforcing broader national efforts toward inclusive and sustainable development.
At the launch, Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment Dr. Rashid Pelpuo said the government was ready to provide leadership and coordination to ensure the programme is implemented effectively, describing the protection of children as central to Ghana’s long-term development agenda.
He warned that development built on the “labour of children” could not be sustained and said failure to safeguard children today would risk weakening the country’s future human capital base.
The intervention comes as Ghana continues to confront child labour across key sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture, fisheries and mining, where children remain exposed to hazardous work, disrupted schooling and heightened social vulnerability.
Japan’s Ambassador to Ghana, Hiroshi Yoshimoto, said the programme would require “combined efforts” across government, communities, development partners and the private sector, underscoring the importance of a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach to child protection.
The partnership is being supported by Japan under the framework of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), aligning it with broader international priorities on human security, inclusive growth, and sustainable development in Africa.
UNICEF Country Representative Osama Makkawi Khogali described the initiative as “more than a project launch,” framing it as a practical commitment to improving outcomes for children at risk of exploitation and exclusion.
He said the programme would respond to the continued scale of the challenge in Ghana, where an estimated 1.1 million children remain affected by child labour across multiple sectors of the economy.
A key feature of the intervention is its focus on innovation and systems strengthening. UNICEF said the partnership would leverage Japanese technological expertise while utilizing Ghana’s existing institutional structures to enhance data systems, expand social protection coverage, and strengthen the identification and referral of at-risk children.
The programme is expected to directly benefit more than 13,000 children and caregivers through access to child protection and education-related services, while also contributing to stronger policy coordination and implementation capacity.
