Renowned Ghanaian businessman Sir Sam Jonah has urged young Africans to stop relying solely on government jobs and focus on starting businesses that can create employment for themselves and others.

He said Africa would continue to struggle with poverty and unemployment if young people depended mainly on governments for jobs instead of exploring business opportunities.

Speaking at the Methodist University Ghana International Conference on Thursday, October 15, 2026, Sir Sam Jonah said entrepreneurship must be seen as a respectable career choice rather than a last resort for those unable to secure formal employment.

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“Make enterprise respectable again. Too many of our brightest young people still see business as something you do only if you could not get a government job. A nation of job-seekers will always be poor. We need a nation of job-creators,” he stated.

He expressed concern that many educated young Africans continued to struggle to find jobs after completing university, leaving some unemployed for years.

Sir Sam Jonah stressed that African countries must encourage more young people to start businesses, develop innovative ideas and create employment opportunities that support economic growth.

He also urged governments to create an enabling environment for young graduates to work, invest and build successful businesses in their home countries.

According to him, African countries spend significant resources educating young people but often fail to provide them with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills.

“We educate brilliant young people, at great cost, and then offer them nothing to do. Some sit at home. Some leave. Our best export is too often our best people,” he lamented.

He warned that the continued departure of skilled young Africans in search of better opportunities abroad could undermine the continent’s long-term development.

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He said Africa’s future depended on creating an environment where talented young people could thrive at home rather than feel compelled to leave in search of better opportunities.

DR/MA

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