Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has warned that the government’s flagship infrastructure initiative, described as the “Big Push,” may not be sufficient to address Ghana’s growing unemployment challenge.

Speaking on JoyNews on Monday, March 16, 2026, the MP affirmed the intention behind the policy but argued that large-scale infrastructure projects alone cannot guarantee sustainable employment for young people entering the labour market.

“I understand and appreciate the President’s efforts, for instance, in the construction industry, what he calls the Big Push. But the Big Push will not be sufficient to guarantee Ghanaian youth, particularly our university graduates jobs,” he said.

According to him, the initiative is likely to generate mostly labour-intensive roles, which may not match the professional skills and qualifications of many graduates seeking employment.

Baffour Awuah noted that Ghana’s unemployment challenge continues to deepen as universities produce thousands of graduates every year without a corresponding expansion in job opportunities across key sectors of the economy.

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“I’ll be happy to have a more transparent procedure where every Ghanaian youth who applies is recruited on a merit-based system,” he said.

However, he stressed that such measures alone cannot solve the larger problem facing the economy.

“…we have 500,000 Ghanaian youth today. Let’s say you have one million Ghanaian youth looking for work. Subtract 5,500 from 500,000, and you’ll realise that we are not solving our basic unemployment issues,” he explained.

Reflecting on the past, the MP said sectors such as finance and telecommunications once absorbed many graduates, but their capacity to create jobs has slowed in recent years.

“Previously, we had a very vibrant financial sector, which was absorbing some of them. We also had a vibrant telecommunications sector which was employing many of these young people,” he said.

He therefore urged the government to focus on policies that stimulate economic growth and strengthen the private sector so that sustainable jobs can be created for Ghana’s youth.

“It’s not just the books looking good. It’s the Ghanaian youth looking for a job,” he added.

SO/VPO

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