The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Malik Basintale, has announced a strategic partnership with dancehall artiste Shatta Wale’s ride-hailing company, SHAXI, to create thousands of jobs for Ghanaian youth.
Ghana’s 2023 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey shows that around 1.9 million young people aged 15–35 are not in school, employed, or in training, underscoring a serious unemployment challenge. The YEA has been working on several interventions to address the growing number of young people out of work, and this partnership with SHAXI is one of its latest efforts to provide sustainable job opportunities.
During a meeting at the YEA headquarters on 30th May, 2025, Malik Basintale officially welcomed Shatta Wale, saying, “On behalf of the staff and management, we welcome you to the Youth Employment Agency today, 1 Don.”
Shatta Wale, born Charles Nii Armah Mensah, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to collaborate with government. “Thank you, Honourable, and your team here. I would like to say a big thank you for this great invitation because it has been a dream for us to have a sitting like this to have a partnership with the government. We feel SHAXI is one way that we can use to eradicate unemployment in the country.”
Shatta Wale added, “With your request and your tweet on X, it made us so happy. My team and everybody is so happy. We are here to honour your invitation and listen to what you have to say.”
Basintale outlined the concrete steps the YEA will take to support the collaboration. “First, what we are interested in doing is to create jobs. No matter how the job is to be created, at the end of the day, we will be held accountable as to the number of jobs that have been created,” he said.
“As a government agency, we are coming on board to ensure that we link the man who is in search of a vehicle and the man who is in search of a driver. We will ensure that they enrol onto SHAXI and that it is Ghana, Ghana, Ghana, and at the end of the day, Ghana wins.”
He revealed that the Agency already has an existing partnership with a private individual who is importing 150 electric vehicles and has requested that drivers be provided. “I’ve instructed my team that all those 150 vehicles should be first registered on SHAXI before we get drivers out there for them,” he said.
Incentives have also been put in place to encourage participation. “The first 2,000 car owners who bring their cars to be registered on SHAXI will receive support for their drivers in the form of GH₵500 worth of fuel coupons every month. SHAXI will operate 24 hours, so if you are having 2,000 vehicles, it means we are creating 4,000 jobs. That would take 4,000 people out of the unemployed ratios,” Basintale noted.
Basintale further pledged his personal commitment to the partnership. “As the CEO of the YEA and the platoon commander of the 5,000 men and vehicles, I will make myself a brand ambassador for SHAXI, free of charge.”
He also appealed to Shatta Wale to mentor upcoming musicians who are part of the YEA’s youth initiatives. “Many of them want to be like 1 Don. I’m pleading on their behalf. Let me gather about 200 to 300 of them in one class and get you to take them through a mentorship session for just one week. Teach them the processes of becoming Shatta Wale in about one to two years.”
In response, Shatta Wale said he was honoured and ready to work with the Agency. “With all you said, Honourable, we are glad and the team is happy that we’ve come to a partnership like this. With all this, I believe we are going to work hand in hand.”
Shatta Wale added, “God bless you also for being a brand ambassador for me. Getting a proper brand ambassador like you is like talking to Michael Jackson. Thanks for the vehicles you want to provide because that has been one of my greatest challenges. It’s a great opportunity and I’m not going to let you down. I’m really going to work hard and push the team.”
Basintale concluded by extending appreciation on behalf of the current President. “On behalf of His Excellency, the President, John Dramani Mahama, we thank you for your continuous support to the upbringing of future leaders in this country.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Mary Asantewaa Buabeng
