Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says the Akufo-Addo-led administration has created two million jobs in the formal sector since assuming office in 2017.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party, upon assuming the reigns of government, sought to remedy “the hopelessness and despair that a lack of employment opportunities under the previous administration had plunged our youth into,” a phenomenon he described as a security threat to the country.
Speaking at the Bawumia Speaks Lecture Series at the Cedi Conference Hall, University of Ghana, the Vice President stated that his government had tackled the challenge head-on, leading to the creation of two million jobs in the formal sector.
“We took the bull by the horns, and in four years, we have created over 2 million jobs in the formal sector, including through government programmes such as NABCO (100,000 jobs to unemployed graduates), NEIP, and Planting for Food and Jobs.
“We have also hired nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers, recruited new teachers, police officers, and many others in the public sector after many years of employment freeze under the previous Government.”
He added that through government’s industrial transformation interventions like the One District One Factory programme about 19,000 direct jobs have been created for the youth in the country.
“…And since helping it to restart operations, Anglogold Ashanti’s Obuasi Mine has employed over 4,000. We have revived the Ghana Publishing Company, WAMCO, as well as GhanaPost,” he stated.
Vice President Bawumia further revealed that to ensure inclusivity in government’s approach to reduce youth unemployment in the country, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP) was introduced to help small businesses thrive as well.
“Through the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP) and the President’s Entrepreneurs Living with Disabilities programmes, we are supporting medium and small businesses as another track for creating jobs and sustainable incomes,” he said.
According to Dr Bawumia, it takes bold leadership to face these challenges head-on and deliver, thus, making an argument for the mandate of President Akufo-Addo to be renewed come December 7.