The Minister of State in Charge of Special Initiatives, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, has argued that the Ghana Labour Export Programme will significantly boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings, reduce unemployment, and improve the skills base of Ghana’s workforce.
The Labour Export Programme is an initiative being implemented by the current administration under President John Dramani Mahama.
It is aimed at tackling unemployment by offering young Ghanaians the opportunity to work abroad under structured, fixed-term arrangements.
At a media engagement on Monday, November 17, 2025, the Minister refuted claims that it will cause “brain drain.”
In his view, Ghana will rather benefit from what he described as “brain gain.”
Using the Philippines, India, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco as examples, he argued that just as these countries earn billions of dollars annually from labour export, Ghana could also benefit from the same.
With the right structures and investment in place, Ghana could generate between $10 billion and $20 billion annually from the initiative, he noted.
He described the programme as timely, given that advanced economies—including Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Germany—are grappling with ageing populations and acute labour shortages.
“Normally in Ghana, we talk about cocoa and gold, but we need to ask how much each of these brings into the country. The potentials are huge, and therefore, it’s an area we have to look at. Labour export is not brain drain; it is brain gain. It will solve unemployment, bring in the needed forex, and enhance the skills of our people,” he said.
Ghana is already pursuing opportunities in the Caribbean and other African countries, particularly for nurses, teachers, IT professionals, and other specialised workers, he added.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
