I had a conversation with an old man recently who had given birth to 13 children, and I was intrigued by it and wanted to know why such a man would give birth to that number of children in this world, where small families are most attractive to many couples. He responded that “the youth are the roots of a strong family and the architects of a thriving nation”

He mentioned how countries like Japan, South Korea, where a large portion of the population is aged, and has a low birthrate, are currently giving incentives for childbirth and running free preschool just to encourage more births for a youthful population because “a country without youth is like a lantern without a flame.”

The foundation of a strong family is the number of youth they have; this is no different from a country, as families come together to build every empire.

Ghana’s “Greatest asset”

With an estimated population of 35.4 million, about 57% of Ghanaians are reported to be youth based on Ghana’s age distribution. Though the term youth is defined differently in different contexts, in Ghana, youth is typically defined as individuals aged 15 to 35 years, according to the African Youth Charter and the national policy frameworks. Due to the country’s youthful population, Ghana is described as one of the youngest populations globally.

During the World Population Day 2025 celebration, Tourism Minister, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie and Mrs. Angelina Kodua Nyanor emphasised that Ghana’s greatest asset is its youth. Gomashie called for systems that “enable young people to take charge of their lives,” while Nyanor described youth development as a national emergency. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted that Ghana's greatest natural resource may not be gold or cocoa, but the potential of its young people. Having emphasised that the youth is the future, the question remains, Who is training them now, and what are the challenges they are facing that threatens their future?

Just like a prince in a monarchy is identified as an heir to a throne, and groomed right from infancy to fit the role which he is expected to fit in the future, what training or education is the youth in Ghana being given currently to build them for a better future? And who is giving them this training? Several institutions including the family, the education system, government agencies and policies, private and civil society groups all play a role in modelling the youth for the future.

Who is training the youth now?

Of all the training that an individual could get, the first place where an individual gets their training from is the family. The role of family cannot be overemphasised as the youth’s grooming cannot be discussed without emphasis on their immediate informal institution, i.e. the family. It is the family that trains an individual in the anchors of character, morality and integrity. Individuals who grow up in families that are particular on moral values such as humility, honesty, and a sense of communal living and responsibility tend to carry these traits into adulthood, which helps them become responsible adults and leaders.

Findings from a collaborative research by three Chinese researchers that was published in May last year in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence titled “Leadership Blossoms in Parental Warmth: Positive Parenting Practices Shape Adolescent Leader Emergence via Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Mechanisms” revealed that children who grow up with available and supportive parents often become leaders later in their lives. This cements the undeniable role of family in the training of the youth. Our education system also remains a major training system for the youth. Our education system serves as the formal sector to acquire the requisite skill set.

Over the years, our education system has gone through a major overhaul. With the changing world order where academic excellence is measured by skill set and value addition, several youth-centred programs focusing on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), mentorship, and personal development seminars have been introduced to equip the youth with employable and problem-solving skills.

The government, through agencies such as the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the National Youth Authority (NYA), have rolled out programs which offer free fashion, agricultural, ICT, and other vocational programmes to serve the youth in preparing them for the future. The current government is also focused on training approximately one million youth in digital skills by 2030, starting with the training of around 560 trainees out of the 90,000 Ghanaian youth who have applied for the training. Other institutions that train the youth in Ghana include civil society organisations. These groups mostly give youth opportunities to explore leadership opportunities within their circles, offering them a platform to learn advocacy, patriotism and instil in them a sense of responsibility.

The internet also has a way of training the youth. Online youth programs, free courses such as the Kectil Leadership Programs and MTN Skills Academy, contribute to providing relevant skills for the youth to be able to match up to future job opportunities in the digital space. A 2024 study by Sarah Akosua Ampong involving 350 Ghanaian youth found that having digital skills and reliable internet access significantly boosts their chances of getting a job. Digitally literate young people are more confident navigating online job platforms and adapting to tech-driven workplaces. The research showed a clear link between digital competence and employability in both formal and informal sectors. It also highlighted that internet access helps youth explore broader career options and remote work opportunities. Overall, digital literacy acts as a bridge between education and meaningful employment for Ghanaian youth.

Challenges and recommendations

Meanwhile, despite the training programmes, policies, and family contributions in training and shaping the youth, Ghana still faces some challenges in fully realising the results of investments made in the modelling of its youth. The economic pressures and parents' search for money cause limited parent-child engagement, which leaves the youth at the mercy of other training channels, including unhealthy social media content, negative peer influence, among others. Also, changing family structures with ballooning single-parent homes tend to limit the shared supervisory role played by both parents (mother and father) in the grooming of the young ones.

However, some of the recommendations that could help resolve the current challenge include the introduction of flexible work policies for parents, particularly during the formative years of children. Also, the extension of maternity leave to a year, just like it is done in developed countries and expedited action for the passage of the bill that includes a minimum of 7 days paid leave and a maximum of 4 weeks. Though not enough, a passage of the bill and an amendment to give fathers about 6months to a year leave will go a long way in their children's upbringing.

Aside from the mismatch in education and real job skills needed, there are concerns about the absence of a long-term policy plan for the future of education in Ghana, leaving the sector to changing administrations and their consistent change in approaches, which affects stability and consistency in delivery at various levels in our education system. Some students also struggle with access to vocational training and the private sector, making it harder for them to transition into relevant jobs after graduation. Also, a support system such as seed capital for graduate of TVET, among others and job opportunities should be readily available to be given to the youth who receive training in various fields be readily available for their employment.

While the internet or digital ecosystem trains many Ghanaian youth, those particularly in rural areas struggle with poor internet access and unreliable connectivity, which limits their ability to take advantage of digital opportunities. The high cost of data and devices like smartphones and laptops makes it difficult for many young people to participate fully in the digital world.

A suggested recommendation that could go a long way in dealing with this challenge includes investing in expanding affordable, reliable internet infrastructure and providing subsidies for digital devices to improve access for all youth. Also, the organisation of digital literacy and online programs will help prevent the negative impact of social media

In summary, the family, education system, and the internet are among the key institutions shaping the training of Ghana’s youth. While each has made important contributions toward preparing the next generation of leaders, significant challenges remain. Addressing these obstacles will be crucial to ensuring Ghana develops a well-equipped and capable generation of leaders for the future.

DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana