Ghana is grappling with a youth unemployment rate of 19.7 per cent, with urban and rural components of 20.4 per cent and 18.7 per cent respectively.
Additionally, the country faces more than 50 per cent underemployment, which is higher than the overall unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan African countries.
In response to these pressing issues, the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has established a National Steering Committee to enhance collaboration, coordination and policy delivery effectiveness among key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The initiative aims to create a more responsive decision-making platform that addresses the specific needs of youth, women and persons with disabilities (PLWD) within the agricultural sector.
The formation of the committee is a joint effort between the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the MasterCard Foundation.
The Country Director of AGRA, Dr Betty Annan, pointed out previous interventions aimed at reducing youth unemployment at the National Steering Committee’s inaugural meeting on Tuesday in Accra.
She stated, “Despite the various interventions designed to tackle youth unemployment in Ghana, such as the Nation Builders Corps (NABCo), the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), these programmes have mostly operated in silos and have not been strategically aligned and coordinated to deliver the intended benefits to the youth.
According to Dr Annan, the committee’s objective is to influence the youth policy ecosystem and promote inclusion and work opportunities in agriculture and related sectors for financially disadvantaged youth, women, and PLWD.
“The Committee is expected to facilitate better collaboration, coordination and policy and programme delivery effectiveness among all the relevant sector ministries, agencies and departments. This, in turn, will bring decision-making closer and make it more responsive to the needs of youth, women, and PLWD in the agricultural sector,” she added.
On his part, the Principal Planning Analyst of NDPC, Mr Stephen Ampem Darko, noted that the initiative is a crucial step towards creating a more inclusive and responsive agricultural sector in the country.
“One that actively addresses the needs and aspirations of the youth, women and persons with disabilities,” he added.
The meeting brought together representatives from various MDAs, development partners and civil society organisations to build a shared understanding of youth, women and PLWD inclusion in the agricultural sector, firm up the draft terms of reference for the multi-sectoral coordination platform, and discuss relevant national policies, strategies and programmes.
The platform is expected to produce a multi-sectoral strategy document on job creation for youth, women and PLWD and support the National Youth Authority (NYA) in developing a multi-sectoral plan to enhance policy, programme design and implementation for youth employment in Ghana.
Patience Anaadem, ISD
