Ghana’s growing youth unemployment challenge requires urgent structural economic reform anchored on diversification, digitalisation, and skills development, according to business leaders at the 10th Ghana CEO Summit and Expo in Accra.
Speaking at the summit, Daniel Kwadwo Owusu, Country Managing Partner of Deloitte, called for “immediate diversification” of the Ghanaian economy as a central pathway to generating “substantial and sustainable employment opportunities,” warning that the country’s expanding youth population demands accelerated job creation across multiple sectors of the economy.
He stressed that without a broadened economic base, Ghana risks deepening labour market pressures, noting that unemployment must be treated as a “national issue” requiring coordinated policy and private sector action. Economic transformation efforts must prioritise sectors capable of absorbing large numbers of young job seekers, particularly through industrial expansion and services-led growth.
Digitalisation was identified as a key driver in addressing the employment gap, with Owusu highlighting its potential in creating new forms of work and improving productivity across industries. He pointed to technology-enabled sectors as critical to unlocking “job creation pathways” that can support long-term economic resilience.
The discussion also underscored the importance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), with calls for greater investment in skills development to align workforce capabilities with industry demand. Owusu emphasised the need to prioritise “technical and vocational training” as part of a broader strategy to reduce structural unemployment and improve employability among young people.
The summit, held under the theme “Accelerating Ghana’s Economic Transformation: Driving Bold Reforms through Leadership, Technology, and Industrialization for Sustainable Growth,” brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to deliberate on reforms aimed at strengthening Ghana’s economic competitiveness and long-term development trajectory.
Participants highlighted that sustained reforms in leadership, industrial policy, and human capital development remain critical to achieving inclusive growth, as Ghana continues to navigate rising demographic pressures and evolving labour market demands.
