The 24-Hour Economy Secretariat and the Business Outsourcing Services Association of Ghana (BOSAG) are partnering to strengthen Ghana’s outsourcing talent pipeline and position the country as a competitive hub for digital services.
The partnership will focus on skills development, infrastructure, market access and the creation of training-to-employment pathways to connect young people to opportunities in the business process outsourcing (BPO), global business services (GBS) and IT-enabled services sectors.
The initiative was highlighted at a BOSAG roundtable in Accra, which brought together industry leaders, development partners and government officials.
Mr Augustus Goosie Tanoh, Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy, described outsourcing as an important avenue for employment creation and foreign exchange earnings.
He said the sector could help address youth unemployment by linking education and skills development directly to opportunities in the global labour market.
“Our sourcing addresses that gap directly. It hires educated youth, trains them to international standards and pays them from export earnings,” he said.
Training To Match Industry Demand
Mr Tanoh said the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat would collaborate with BOSAG through the Aspire24 programme to align training curricula with the skills required by outsourcing companies.
The partnership would also establish clearer pathways from training to employment and strengthen Ghana’s multilingual workforce to serve markets across Africa and beyond.
“We will work with BOSAG to align curricula with the roles your members hire for, build training-to-employment pathways with commitments on both sides and develop multilingual capability because the markets of AfCFTA and ECOWAS speak French and Portuguese as well as English,” he said.
He said developing multilingual capabilities would enhance Ghana’s ability to compete for outsourcing contracts across the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Expanding Beyond Accra
Mr Tanoh said efforts were also underway to decentralise outsourcing activities and create employment opportunities in secondary cities.
He announced that BOSAG would participate in the development of the proposed Ukwa Tech Park at the University of Cape Coast.
The project is expected to provide about 3,000 outsourcing seats and a skills training centre and serve as a model for similar developments in other regions.
He said the Secretariat was supporting the development of technology parks and outsourcing infrastructure across the country as part of efforts to create jobs outside Accra.
Mr David Gowu, Chief Executive Officer of BOSAG, said Ghana had the key ingredients needed to become a major outsourcing destination, including a youthful population, improving digital infrastructure and a growing number of tertiary graduates.
He said more than 100,000 graduates completed tertiary education annually, providing a significant talent pool for the outsourcing industry.
BOSAG Targets 100,000 Jobs
Mr Gowu said BOSAG’s five-year strategy aimed to create 100,000 jobs through the growth and expansion of Ghana’s outsourcing ecosystem.
“We have the talent. We have the infrastructure. What we need is deliberate action to connect these young people to opportunities and make Ghana more visible to global investors,” he said.
He said BOSAG had intensified efforts to promote Ghana internationally through industry roundtables, research publications, investor engagements and strategic partnerships.
The association had also organised engagements in Ghana and the United Kingdom to attract investors and showcase Ghana’s capabilities in the global outsourcing market.
Globally, outsourcing has developed into a multi-trillion-dollar industry, with countries including India, the Philippines, Egypt, South Africa and Kenya using the sector to create jobs and generate foreign exchange.
Ghana is seeking to increase its share of the market by positioning itself as a competitive destination for digitally delivered services.
According to World Trade Organisation estimates, Ghana recorded about US$6.2 billion in digitally delivered services exports in 2022, placing it among Africa’s leading exporters in the segment.
AI To Complement Human Talent
Mr Kojo Hayford, Board Chairman of BOSAG and Founder of ESAL, said artificial intelligence (AI) should be viewed as an enabler rather than a threat to employment in the outsourcing industry.
He said while AI could automate routine tasks, human workers would remain essential for judgement, empathy and decision-making.
“What we’re doing here is using AI tools and embedding the human element. AI can do the heavy lifting, but young people will still be needed for the judgement work,” he said.
Mr Hayford stressed the need to prepare Ghana’s workforce for the changing nature of work by equipping young people with skills that complemented emerging technologies.
He also announced plans by ESAL to establish a delivery centre in Tamale as part of efforts to extend outsourcing opportunities to secondary cities and underserved communities.
He said talent was available across the country and that decentralising outsourcing operations would contribute to job creation, regional development and inclusive economic growth.
