Being a youth in Ghana is depressing – University student bemoans high unemployment rate

With the country’s unemployment rate still high, some tertiary students nearing graduation have expressed fear and uncertainty about their future.

The sense of uncertainty looms large, casting a shadow over their hopes and dreams, despite their academic pursuits and aspirations.

The 2023 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey revealed that 1.9 million youth aged 15 to 35 in Ghana are not employed, not in education or training.

This is the concern of many youth who are questioning how they can create a bright future with such limited opportunities.

“It’s actually not easy being a youth in Ghana. I feel it’s a whole depression on its own because Ghana as a country has its own problems and they tend to affect the youth even more and so this places a high responsibility on me.”

“As for me, today is not a day for any Ghanaian youth to celebrate because it is a day we need to mourn and let the politicians understand that they have woefully failed us,” they told TV3 on Monday, August 12, 2024.

The prospect of entering a job market is bleak, especially for those who are about to complete school.

But even beyond this, some are worried about how high mental health cases among the youth are soaring, a problem that has not received so much attention.

“My main challenge for the youth is not really unemployment; it has to do with mental health issues. As a youth, you battle with decisions [and] choices. Now, I am in level 400 and about to complete school…”

“Every day, when I am on my bed, I think, ‘so, what am I going to do after school? Am I going to be part of the unemployed labour? Where am I going to stay?’ These are things that can really affect your mental health,” some wondered.

Reports indicate that productivity has stagnated in various services. And many successive governments seem not to have done enough to address the challenges.

“I believe that whenever you speak of celebration, two things come to play – celebrating how far you’ve come and also acknowledging what is to come. We are in a dispensation where it looks like there is no hope for the youth.”

“In fact, we are in this school as students. Our parents send us money; they send let’s say 500 cedis and within the next few days [the money gets finished]. You can’t buy food for 30 cedis on campus,” they noted.

As unemployment, underemployment and limited opportunities prevail among the youth, a strong call is made for meaningful participation of young people in governance to address the looming challenges.

“At the end of the degree; at the end of the master’s what do we see? We are still unemployed and unemployment rate is that high in our society. They should create more employment opportunities for the youth,” the students pleaded.

As the world marks the International Youth Day, a call is made to policy makers to factor the youth in the country’s developmental agenda.

The United Nations observes that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires that the youth are empowered and given equal opportunities.

This year’s theme for the celebration is ‘From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.’

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