7 in 10 Young Ghanaians Want to Leave the Country’ — Youth Minister Sounds Alarm Over Rising Migration Aspirations

The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare-Addo, has raised fresh concerns over the growing desire among Ghana’s youth to seek opportunities abroad, revealing that a significant majority of young people would leave the country if given the chance.

Speaking on the state of youth aspirations and employment, the Minister lamented that “out of every 10 young Ghanaians you meet, seven are willing to leave the shores of this country.” He described the trend as a troubling indicator of the frustrations confronting the country’s young population.

The remark underscores the mounting challenge of youth unemployment, underemployment and the perception that better economic opportunities exist outside Ghana. In recent years, increasing numbers of young Ghanaians have pursued migration through education, skilled work programmes and other legal pathways, while others have embarked on riskier irregular migration routes in search of improved livelihoods.

George Opare-Addo stressed that reversing the trend requires more than rhetoric. According to him, government must create an environment where young people can confidently build their futures at home through sustainable jobs, entrepreneurship opportunities, skills development and economic empowerment.

The Minister’s comments come at a time when Ghana continues to grapple with the broader implications of youth migration. While remittances from Ghanaians abroad remain an important source of foreign exchange, economists have repeatedly warned that the departure of skilled and educated young people could deprive the country of critical human capital needed to drive innovation, productivity and long-term economic growth.

His remarks are also likely to reignite debate over how Ghana can translate its youthful population into a demographic dividend rather than a source of growing outward migration.

For many young Ghanaians, the aspiration to leave is increasingly seen not as a rejection of their homeland, but as a search for economic security, career advancement and a better quality of life. The Minister’s statement therefore serves as both a warning and a call for urgent policy action to restore confidence in opportunities within the country.

As policymakers intensify efforts to tackle unemployment and expand youth-focused initiatives, the challenge remains whether those measures can convince more young Ghanaians that their future can be built at home rather than abroad.