Professor Paul Kwame Nkegbe, Dean-Graduate School, University for Development Studies (UDS), has observed that the alarming rate of youth unemployment in the country is largely driven by a bulging youth population.
Citing formal econometric analysis, Prof. Nkegbe revealed that a 10 percent increase in the youth bulge potentially results in a 7 percent rise in youth unemployment, with the trend more pronounced in developed countries.
He made this observation at the 18th UDS Professional Inaugural Lecture dubbed ‘Youth bulge and unemployment: Evidence to action’.
Consequently, Prof. Nkegbe stressed the need for a collaborative approach between the academic and corporate sectors to design education models aligned with the job market.
“Policymakers must consider an education model wherein policies and programmes are developed jointly by academia and the business community,” he stated.
Indeed, research shows that 71 percent of Ghana’s employed population aged 15 and older work in the informal sector compared to 29 percent in the formal sector.,
A compilation of youth employment interventions in Ghana as of 2016 revealed 40 public and private sector-led programmes, including the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) which created 97,373 direct temporary jobs for unemployed graduates. Of these, about 49,000 beneficiaries have either been absorbed into various agencies or are now self-employed.
In sub-Saharan Africa, youth population growth remains high and is expected to reach 5.2 million annually between 2025 and 2030. Meanwhile, approximately 20 percent of youth worldwide are not in employment, education or training (NEET).
Prof. Nkegbe emphasised the need for government collaboration with policymakers and the private sector to design sustainable job creation strategies that will empower youth to contribute meaningfully in national development.
The belief that Africa’s burgeoning population – set to rise from 1.3 billion to two billion by 2040 – is a boon runs deep on the continent. Africa’s high fertility rates are a serious constraint on development and until the continent significantly lowers them, it won’t be able to grow quickly enough economically to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.
Instead of being a blessing, Africa’s youth bulge could lead to increased risk of conflict and violence.
Reducing Africa’s fertility rate demands, among others, better education for women as this gives them more job opportunities and less inclination to have large families since they will be better informed about modern contraceptives and the need for them.
