In Ghana, industrialization and supply chain strategist Douglas Boateng called on African countries to change their approach to education and youth employment. In an op-ed for MyJoyOnline, he said that young people should be prepared not only to search for vacancies but also to create businesses and jobs. In the author’s view, poverty and unemployment should not become part of young people’s identity.
Citing the World Bank, Boateng writes that about 3 million formal jobs are created in Africa each year, while approximately 10–12 million young people join the workforce annually. According to 2025 Afrobarometer data cited by the author, in 38 African countries, 45% of young people aged 18–25 described themselves as unemployed and looking for work. At the same time, 52% of respondents said they would like to start their own business.
Education and entrepreneurship
Boateng separately cited data for Ghana: 76% of young people have secondary or post-secondary education, 34% are unemployed, and 61% would like to start their own business. In his view, the education system and public expectations too often steer graduates toward seeking a stable position instead of developing entrepreneurship, technical occupations, and manufacturing.
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The author called on universities to focus on solving practical problems and on banks to develop financing instruments for young businesses. He also noted that the continent’s economies need not only doctors and lawyers, but also technicians, artisans, welders, data-processing specialists, food processors, and entrepreneurs in creative industries.
Jobs as a priority
According to Afrobarometer data cited by Boateng, 48% of residents of 35 African countries named job creation the top priority if government spending on youth programs were increased. Respondents named education, vocational training, and access to business credit as the next priorities.
Boateng stressed that young people need not motivational slogans, but real opportunities. He also warned that entrepreneurship without access to financing and infrastructure can become a means of survival rather than a path to prosperity.
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