We will adopt rapid industrialisation for jobs—Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a plan for "Rapid Industrialization for Jobs (RIJ)," which aims to promote value addition for both domestic consumption and export.

“Strategic industries will be established and defunct ones revived,” he declared, emphasizing the need for bold measures to create jobs and stimulate the economy.

Speaking about the challenges Ghana faces, Mahama described the nation as being in a state of crisis. “Ghana needs a change of government to catalyze national recovery,” he stated, calling for pragmatic leadership to reverse the country’s current economic decline.

Infrastructure Development and Job Creation

The former president announced plans for a major infrastructure initiative dubbed "The Big Push." “The next NDC government will roll out ‘The Big Push’ for rapid infrastructure development to continue the NDC legacy of massive infrastructure development for job creation,” he said.

Additionally, Mahama promised critical public sector recruitment based on a comprehensive Human Resource Gap Analysis. This strategy, aligned with international best practices, will address the demands of the proposed 24-Hour Economy Policy.

Green Technologies and Business Development

Mahama outlined a vision to leverage green technologies for entrepreneurship and job creation. “We will promote the use of electric vehicles, clean energy for commercial and residential use, and create jobs in sectors such as solar energy, plastic recycling, electronic waste management, and sanitation,” he explained.

“These programs will be anchored on our 24-Hour Economy Strategy and a Business Development Policy aimed at creating a conducive environment for business growth, innovation, economic expansion, and job creation,” he added.

Financial Sector Strengthening

Mahama emphasized the NDC’s commitment to promoting indigenous participation in Ghana’s financial services sector. “The next NDC administration will strengthen the financial services sector through new jobs that prioritize local talent to build a robust economy rooted in our local workforce,” he said.

Digital Jobs Initiative

Mahama reiterated the NDC’s flagship Digital Jobs Initiative, which aims to invest $3 billion in partnership with the private sector to create jobs in the digital ecosystem. “One million young Ghanaians will be trained in digital skills such as coding, WebApp development, and software engineering,” he said.

He also outlined plans to establish Regional Digital Centres modeled on the Accra Digital Centre to expand the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) sectors. “Existing ICT parks, such as the Dawa ICT Park, will be redeveloped into world-class centers of excellence to create jobs,” Mahama stated, referencing the NDC’s 2024 manifesto, Resetting Ghana: Jobs, Accountability, and Prosperity.

Call to Action

Mahama called on Ghanaians to vote for him and the NDC in the upcoming elections to enable the implementation of these transformational policies. “Vote massively for the NDC in the presidential and parliamentary elections so that the next government can execute pragmatic policies to restore confidence and integrity in the capital markets and reset the country’s economy,” he concluded.