G200 Youth Ambassador for Africa Mr. Steven Blessing Ackah who designs and manages Startup program, advocates on youth-centered early warning support system, and mediation on sustainable peace, security and development has advised the government of Ghana to focus on developing strategies to reduce unemployment among graduates in Ghana in order to stop loom activities.

Steven who is the first African to chair a committee on Financial sector and world economy at the 2017 G200 Association Summit inquired,

“How would the President of Ghana feel as a leader, if he wakes up one early morning and realises the youth have taken the law into their hands to demonstrate on their unsolved issues, destroy properties and cause a huge mayhem?”.

He explained that, the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, and most importantly a decent work for growth are key priorities to some of the Sustainable Development Goals Ghana needs to attain by 2030. And that efforts made towards these goals will determine the ability to secure a livelihood for a graduate wanting to complete the transition from the dependence as students to the independence of responsible workers.

Mr. Ackah said he hopes the President will begin to come up with innovative ideas and policy decisions to tackle scam related issues resulting from joblessness, such as loom, quick money gain via online platforms and other similar platforms.

It’s about time government provided solution to some of the youth-related issues through increasing the employability of graduates, promoting entrepreneurship and the private supply of jobs to curb unemployment.

“I believe the President and the Minister Designate together with his team, are working to develop employment programmes to empower and enhance capacity of small and medium enterprise, but more needs to be done”. He added,

The Ministry of Employment and Labour, NEIP, Youth Employment Authority Agency, Ghana Venture Fund, and MASLOC should lead employment opportunities and be empowered to strengthen the evaluation of employment programmes throughout the cycle of programme design, implementation and evaluation and seed capital support for graduates who want to become entrepreneurs.

Mr. Ackah in his presentation proposed the following strategies to government in order to curb high unemployment, thus, government should initiate consultative forums that will bring out;

Youth employment programmes that can offer immediate opportunities, inclusiveness, and alternative to violence for the sake of election 2020.

Youth employment programmes that can aid to address grievances that are the root causes of unemployment and other youth related issues.

The need to establish systems that would be at critical of employment crises and bridge the information gap. And lastly

Youth employment programmes that can create platform for youth and policymakers to address plan and respond quickly to analysis of youth issues.

He further explained many young Ghanaians are unsure about their future in the working world. They know they want to be on their own, they want to earn their own money and live as adults, but when it comes to what they want to “be,” they are confused and uncertain because the primary vehicle for job creation is very low and poor in Ghana.

Moving forward, “I hope a policy statement highlighting the specific roles of government to local tycoon business owners like Mr. Osei Kwame Despite, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, Mr. Ernest Ofori Sarppong, Engineer Kwadwo Sarfo Kantanka, Mr. Amoabeng, Mr. Jospeph Agyapong, Mr. Kwabena Duffour, Mr. Kwame Kyei Baffour and others will be put in place to contribute to youth employment creation in various districts and to motivate upcoming entrepreneurs ”.