Mahama Rejects NABCO-Style Job Creation, Commits to Sustainable Employment Strategies
Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has outlined a bold vision for tackling youth unemployment, rejecting short-term job creation schemes like the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO). Speaking to VOA on Saturday, December 14, Mahama criticized the outgoing New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s NABCO program as ineffective and unsustainable, emphasizing the need for long-term solutions.
Mahama described NABCO, which launched in 2018 to address graduate unemployment, as an “artificial” initiative that failed to deliver lasting results. He noted that the program’s promise to transition participants into permanent jobs after three years of temporary allowances remained unfulfilled, leaving many young people stranded.
> “We are not interested in artificial job creation measures like NABCO, where young people were taken through three years, paid an allowance, and promised jobs, only to be abandoned at the end,” he stated.
Leveraging the Youth Employment Agency (YEA)
Mahama highlighted his administration’s intention to build on the work of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) to create real opportunities for training and job readiness. Rather than replicating temporary measures, he vowed to focus on empowering young people with skills that lead to sustainable employment.
> “We already have the Youth Employment Agency, which is creating opportunities for training and orientation for jobs. Our focus will be on genuine pathways to employment, not artificial measures,” he stressed.
Private Sector Growth: The Long-Term Solution
The President-elect acknowledged the limitations of the public sector in solving Ghana’s unemployment crisis, noting that it employs fewer than one million people in a country of 33 million. He emphasized that a thriving private sector holds the key to creating more jobs and reducing reliance on government employment.
“The government sector cannot absorb the teeming youth entering the job market. The best place to get a job is the private sector. In the past, we have only paid lip service to private sector growth, but it’s time to take it seriously,” he explained.
To this end, Mahama promised targeted interventions to expand the capacity of private enterprises while encouraging young people to pursue entrepreneurship.
AfCFTA as a Catalyst for Job Creation
Mahama also pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a game-changer for job creation. He expressed optimism that Ghanaian businesses could leverage AfCFTA to increase production and export goods across the continent, creating employment opportunities in the process.
“Now that we have the African Continental Free Trade Area, we must encourage Ghanaian businesses to take advantage of it, increase production, and export to other African countries,” he stated.
The NABCO Legacy
NABCO, launched with the aim of providing temporary employment for 100,000 graduates, faced significant challenges, including delayed stipend payments and a failure to secure permanent job placements. The program officially ended on September 1, 2022, leaving questions about its overall impact.
As Mahama prepares to take office, his commitment to fostering private sector growth and creating sustainable jobs signals a decisive shift from previous employment policies. With his focus on empowering youth and leveraging regional trade opportunities, he aims to address Ghana’s unemployment crisis more effectively.
