Eric Opoku at the youth event in Accra
Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku has called for urgent, innovative and youth-driven interventions to address the growing unemployment crisis across Africa, insisting agriculture remains the continent’s most sustainable pathway to prosperity.
Speaking as a guest speaker at the Africa Youth Day 2025 Ministerial Youth Dialogue held at the Accra International Conference Centre, Opoku highlighted that the continent currently produces nine million unemployed youth every year—capable and willing to work, yet unable to find opportunities.
“If the situation is not addressed, the future is calamitous,” he warned.
The minister cited World Bank figures indicating that in Ghana alone, 500,000 young people enter the job market annually, but only a fraction secure meaningful employment due to limited job openings.
Opoku said the resources available to Africa, particularly in agriculture, offer a clear competitive advantage.
With 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, Africa contributes only 10 percent to global food production—an imbalance he described as a “missed opportunity.”
He also stressed the need for value addition to agricultural commodities, revealing that although Africa produces large volumes of raw cocoa beans, the continent captures only 5 percent of the $130 billion global chocolate market.
“We export raw materials and receive peanuts, only for those materials to be processed and sold back to us at high prices,” he stated.
Citing research from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Minister emphasised that every $1 invested in sustainable agriculture yields a return of $23, making the sector the most efficient tool for wealth creation.
However, despite agriculture employing 38.3 percent of Ghana’s population, he noted that youth participation stands at only 5 percent, with the average Ghanaian farmer aged 45. This aging workforce, he said, threatens future food security.
As part of measures to reverse the trend, Hon. Opoku announced a campaign for mass participation in agriculture aimed at making the sector more attractive and profitable for young people.
He also raised concerns over heavy food import bills, revealing that Ghana spends $3 billion annually on food imports, including $400 million on tomatoes alone, despite its fertile lands. He noted that in 2022, Ghana produced just 15,000 metric tons of poultry out of a national consumption estimate of 324,000 metric tons.
“What is wrong with us?” he questioned. “We must rise to unlock our full agricultural potential.”
The minister reiterated that youth-led agricultural solutions and accountability in policy implementation are crucial for national development and food sovereignty.
The event, held under the theme “Accountability, Policy and Youth-Led Solutions for National Development,” brought together policymakers, development agencies, young entrepreneurs, and civil society to advance strategic actions that empower Africa’s youth.