Youth Employment in Ghana

by Adam Mahama

National Coordinator, Youth in Agriculture Progamme, Ghana

The Youth in Agriculture Programme (YIAP) concept was first conceived by the late President of Ghana, Professor Evans John Atta Mills in 1999, when he was the Chairman of the Economic Management team from 1996 to 2000. This was one of the interventions the National Democratic Congress Government introduced as its solution to the precarious youth unemployment in the country.

The Youth in Agriculture Programme (YIAP) in Ghana is a Government of Ghana (GOG) agricultural sector initiative with an objective of motivating the youth to accept and appreciate farming as a commercial venture, thereby taking up farming as a life time vocation.

The Youth in Agriculture Programme (YIAP) has been in existence since 1999, received more emphasis and attention since 2009. From a 47,000 youth who gained employment in 2009 under the programme, by 2011 the figure rose to 81,000. In 2012 the number of youth employed reduced to 45,000 because some of them were weaned off and others dropped because they have consistently failed to repay back credit given to them.