More than 2,000 children, predominantly girls, are engaged in Ghana’s mobile business sector, underscoring both the economic significance of informal trade and urgent child protection concerns, according to the latest findings from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The 2024 Integrated Business Establishment Survey (IBES I), conducted under Phase I of the national economic census, provides the first comprehensive statistical profile of mobile businesses operating across the country. These enterprises, ranging from hawkers and porters to traders operating from vehicles, carts, and wheelbarrows, serve households, commuters, and communities, generating vital economic activity in urban and peri-urban areas.
The report shows that out of 82,920 mobile business operators nationwide, 2,087 are children aged 10–14, with 80% of these young operators being girls. While the sector offers income and entrepreneurial exposure, most child operators, particularly girls, do not own the goods they sell, raising concerns over vulnerability, limited economic empowerment, and school dropout risk.
Women dominate the broader mobile business sector, accounting for 77.5% of operators, and youth aged 15–35 make up over 60%, highlighting the sector as a key entry point into entrepreneurship and informal employment.
However, the study stresses that while mobile businesses contribute to livelihoods and local commerce, policy interventions are needed to strengthen social protection, improve working conditions, and safeguard children in the sector.
The GSS report calls for integrating mobile businesses into urban planning and national economic strategies, balancing the sector’s economic contributions with protective measures for vulnerable workers, especially young girls.
