MTN Foundation Chair urges shift to technology to curb joblessness

The Board Chairman of MTN Foundation, Prof. Franklyn Manu, has cautioned that Ghana’s rising youth unemployment could spark a national crisis if urgent efforts are not made to harness technology and innovation to create jobs.

Speaking at Bright Conversations, a thought-leadership event organised by MTN, Prof. Manu stressed the need for a deliberate shift in economic policy toward technology-driven empowerment. He lamented the country’s limited focus on innovation despite its potential to transform livelihoods.

“As a country, we can barely boast of 100 plus lecturers in technology in the various universities as governments keep spending on humanities and business. As a country, ICT is compulsory at the senior high school level, yet it is not difficult to come by various SHSs that do not have a basic computer to boast of,” he said.

Prof. Manu also expressed concern that politics has become a refuge for many unemployed graduates. “Politics has now become a benefit for many as people will complete the university and after 4/5 years still remain unemployed thereby leaving little or no motivation for people to take to tertiary education,” he observed.

He urged policymakers to move away from outdated practices and adopt innovation across key sectors. “Road construction remains the same over the last 30 to 40 years without any technological advancement. We are still undertaking agriculture like we used to do 50 years ago when nations like Israel that were initially deserts have been transformed into vast food plantations with technological advancement,” he revealed.

While acknowledging efforts to train young people in coding, Prof. Manu questioned the practicality of such initiatives without adequate planning and resources. “How will 1 million youths be taught in coding? Who will teach them and how long will it take as there is need to check the people and the dimensions of their interest as we will rather choose to invest in V8s rather than defibrillators for our hospitals that need to be equipped to save lives,” he argued.

He further raised doubts about recent plans to embed tracking chips in vehicle license plates, warning Ghana could face the same challenges as Uganda, where people reportedly removed chips to evade monitoring.

The Bright Conversations session, which was streamed nationwide, brought together media practitioners who engaged in interactive quizzes and won prizes including airtime and internet routers.