By Ahmed Watara TAHIRU & Gladys Opoku ANNING
If you ask all African countries their key challenges as a country, unemployment will be among the dominant challenges that will be mentioned.
In Ghana for instance, unemployment in 2024 was an average of 4.0percent of the labour force, and it is expected to remain the same this year, according to Fitch Solutions.
This happens not because young people lack ambition, but because they lack the opportunities. The problem is not just the absence of jobs. It is a deep mismatch between what young people are taught and what the world of work demands today.
But this article is not another lamentation. It is a call to rethink our national strategy and embrace innovation by transforming raw coding skills into real jobs, sustainable startups, and exportable tech talent.
With over 57percent of the population under the age of 25, and Africa’s youth population expected to double by 2050, the stakes are higher than ever. We need scalable, future-proof solutions and we need them now.
One Million Coders – Ghana’s bold initiative
In response to this urgent need, the Government of Ghana launched the One Million Coders Initiative, a national programme aimed at training one million young Ghanaians in programming and digital skills.
President John Dramani Mahama recently launched Ghana’s ambitious One Million Coders Programme (OMCP), declaring it the foundation of a national technological transformation that will position the country as Africa’s digital leader.
Its goal is clear. Equip youth with relevant digital skills to compete in a global market that increasingly values software, data, and innovation. It is a bold, timely initiative, but like many bold ideas, its impact will depend on how it is executed.
Training is not enough – we must build pipelines
The painful truth is that many skills-training programmes in Africa have fallen short. They focus on imparting knowledge, but not on building pathways to employment.
The One Million Coders initiative cannot afford to repeat this pattern. We must go beyond training. We need to create what can be called a skills-to-employment pipeline, a model where learners are guided from education directly into work, entrepreneurship, or freelance opportunities.
To achieve this, three strategic pillars must support the initiative:
- Internships and apprenticeships: Partner with tech firms and startups to offer real-world experience for trainees, including exposure to live projects, team collaboration, and client communication practices.
- Startup support: Create incubation programmes and provide access to micro-financing or seed capital for entrepreneurial graduates who have ideas, prototypes, or small business models but lack financial muscle.
- Job matching: Build a digital platform that connects trained coders with local firms, international clients, and government tech projects, ensuring direct placement, fair pay, and long-term engagement opportunities.
The global demand for developers – Ghana’s tech advantage
The global demand for software developers is rising. Companies around the world are seeking remote talent, and Africa with its youthful, English-speaking population is well-positioned to meet this demand.
By investing in coding at scale, Ghana can not only reduce unemployment but also position itself as a tech-exporting nation. Just as India became a global IT outsourcing hub, Ghana can build a reputation for digital excellence starting with its young people.
Turning coders into contributors – a strategic path
But this transformation will not happen by wishful thinking. It will require coordinated efforts from government, the private sector, educational institutions, and civil society.
Here are some actionable steps:
- Tech partnerships: Collaborate with international tech companies to offer training, mentorship, job placement, software tools, and opportunities for cross-border project experience.
- Startup ecosystem: Support youth-led tech startups with funding, legal guidance, market access, networking platforms, and ongoing technical coaching and infrastructure support.
- Government projects: Reserve portions of government IT contracts for junior developers or coding startups from the programme and integrate them into public digital transformation efforts for growth.
- Accountability: Track progress and publish success stories to inspire trust and transparency, while also providing quarterly data reports and external audits for public awareness.
Conclusion – The real metric of success
Training a million coders is impressive. But employing a million coders or enabling them to build a million jobs is the true measure of success. Ghana must not only equip its youth with skills but build the structures that allow those skills to translate into income, dignity, and national development. We have the talent.
We have the tools. Now we need the commitment to build bridges from learning to earning. What if Ghana became Africa’s Silicon Valley, not by chance, but by strategy?
>>>Ahmed Tahiru is a dedicated financial literacy advocate and aspiring entrepreneur with a mission to empower individuals through knowledge. With a deep passion for helping others unlock their financial potential, he believes that financial education is key to personal and community growth. Outside of his advocacy work, Ahmed is an avid reader and writer, constantly learning and sharing insights. Guided by the philosophy, “Your attitude, not your aptitude will determine your altitude,” he focuses on fostering a positive mindset for success in all endeavours. He can be reached via +233 543 460 166 and or [email protected]
>>>Gladys Opoku Anning is not just a public speaker, she’s a voice for change. As a dynamic corporate host and financial literacy advocate, she blends business intelligence with human insight to drive transformation. She doesn’t just speak, she connects, builds, and ignites. In every space she steps into, she sparks clarity, challenges thinking, and leaves people better than she found them. With a deep passion for empowering others, Gladys fosters growth, instils confidence, and creates lasting impact through every initiative she leads. She can be reached via +233 544 544 301 and or [email protected], linkedin.com/in/gladys-opoku-anning
