President John Dramani Mahama has urged governments to explore the creative sector and emerging technologies to create jobs rather than the over-dependence on traditional paths to job creation in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
Participating in a Public-Private Partnership Dialogue in Japan, held on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Mahama cautioned that Africa’s surging youth population could pose a serious threat if governments do not act swiftly to create jobs.
He stressed that industries such as the creative arts, renewable energy, and digital enterprises are proving to be more effective at generating employment and urged governments to prioritize investment in these fast-growing sectors.
“The demographics have changed and that the majority of the population in Africa is youthful. And so there’s no way you can grow a successful economy without investing in the youth. The youth form 60%. If you take the age category of between 16 and 35 they form 60% of Africa’s population. And so that’s not a demographic you can ignore. The youth are interested in certain sectors that are not the traditional sectors and so in the creatives, in the renewable energy space,” Mahama said.
He pointed to the rapid growth of Africa’s startup ecosystem, noting that in 2024 alone, the continent attracted \$4.2 billion in startup investment, with fintech accounting for nearly 45% of that figure—driven largely by tech-savvy young entrepreneurs.
Mahama also observed a structural shift in African economies, citing Ghana’s experience where, as far back as 2015, the services sector overtook agriculture and manufacturing to become the country’s largest contributor to GDP.
“In all our countries a change in the economic structure is happening, for instance in Ghana about in 2015 the services sector overtook agriculture and industry and manufacturing to become the largest sector in our economy. And that’s how it should be,” he emphasized, urging governments to align policies and investments with these new realities.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
