ECOWAS Resident Representative in Ghana, Baba Gana Waki has underscored the critical role of digitalisation in the economic growth of member states.
He said in an era where digitalisation stood as a cornerstone of economic growth, young people worldwide were leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) to tackle unemployment.
Speaking in an interview during a 10-day intensive programme aimed at equipping over 200 Ghanaian youth with essential digital skills, Mr Wakil said no economy could thrive in the modern era without embracing digital technologies.
This initiative, which started from 3rd June to 14th June, is expected to empower hundreds of young individuals, providing them with the tools needed to thrive in the rapidly evolving digital economy.
It is a significant move to address the rising unemployment rates among young people in the country.
The programme, part of ECOWAS’s broader regional development strategy, focuses on key areas such as coding, software, mobile and web development (front and back-end) for the first week, and cable TV development for the subsequent week.
It aims to bridge the skills gap and prepare participants for opportunities in the global digital marketplace.
Mr Wakil said the future of the sub-region lied in the hands of its young people.
He said youth unemployment was one of the existential threats to national and regional security, as about 65 per cent of the population in the sub-region were youth.
“Because of the over reliance on government and White-collar jobs, the youth are unable to get employment in government circles. The best way for them to escape this cycle is to be able to train in ICT to acquire digital skills and create their own jobs,” he added.
According to Mr Wakil, if the potential of the youth were not properly harnessed and developed, the economy of Ghana and all the others in the sub-region could not compete favourably with the rest of the world.
He observed that the younger generation must embrace digital transformation and possess digital credentials, digital access and digital assets for them to participate fully in developing the future the sub-region experts.
The ECOWAS Resident Representative said as the traditional job markets evolve and new opportunities emerge, the integration of digital skills has become essential for economic sustainability and personal career advancement.
He reiterated that the ECOWAS Commission itself had fully embraced ICT with its new department on Innovation and Digitalisation to bring the sub-region at par with the rest of the world and to compete favourably with other developed countries.
Mr Wakil said ECOWAS had a Regional Action Plan on Digitalisation to spearhead digital technology at all levels, consolidating plans of member states to accelerate growth, enhance productivity and generate employment in the sub-region.