The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has cautioned that unemployment constitutes a “ticking time bomb” for the country, underscoring the imperative for immediate and sustained policy interventions, particularly in tackling rising youth joblessness.
Mr Iddrisu warned that the swelling number of unemployed young people represents a profound risk to the nation’s social cohesion and long-term economic stability.
“Unemployment remains a ticking time bomb. We need to find urgent answers and solutions to address the growing youth unemployment,” he stated.
The Minister noted with concern that while a growing number of young people are completing various stages of education and skills training, job creation has failed to keep pace with the expanding cohort entering the labour market.
He therefore called for a coordinated national response, bringing together government, the private sector and educational institutions to ensure closer alignment between education, skills development and labour market demands.
Mr Iddrisu, who was speaking with Channel One TV, warned that a continued disconnect between training and employment opportunities risks producing graduates who are either inadequately prepared for available roles or condemned to extended periods of unemployment, with wider implications for social and economic stability.
He emphasised the necessity for far-reaching policy reforms, coupled with increased investment in sectors capable of absorbing large numbers of young people, cautioning that continued inaction would only deepen unemployment and compound its attendant social challenges.
Mr Iddrisu maintained that addressing youth unemployment must remain a central national priority, calling for pragmatic, long-term solutions that can secure sustainable livelihoods for Ghana’s expanding youth population and safeguard the country’s socio-economic future.