Ghana Launches $71 Million Jobs Programme for Women and Youth

GWYESCO is expected to create more than 28,000 direct jobs and an additional 6,000 indirect jobs while providing women and young people with practical skills that match labour market needs.

Ghana has officially launched the Ghana Women and Youth Employment and Social Cohesion Programme (GWYESCO), a nationwide initiative designed to expand employment opportunities, strengthen entrepreneurship and improve livelihoods for women and young people across the country.

The programme was launched on 10 June 2026 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, bringing together government officials, development partners and implementing agencies committed to supporting inclusive economic growth. Backed by a US$71 million grant from the African Development Bank Group, GWYESCO will run until 2029 and focus on communities where unemployment, limited access to finance and economic challenges continue to hold back opportunities.

Programme to create jobs and strengthen technical skills

GWYESCO is expected to create more than 28,000 direct jobs and an additional 6,000 indirect jobs while providing women and young people with practical skills that match labour market needs. The initiative will renovate and equip 10 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centres, where participants will receive training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), alongside digital and creative skills, including artificial intelligence.

Beyond technical education, the programme will support women- and youth-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises by improving access to finance, business development services and entrepreneurship support. It will also promote opportunities in agribusiness and agricultural value chains such as poultry farming, fisheries, livestock production and beekeeping. The programme includes financial literacy training, climate adaptation measures and peacebuilding initiatives, with particular attention given to vulnerable communities in Northern Ghana.

Initiative supports Ghana's long-term development plans

Chief Executive Officer of the Social Investment Fund and GWYESCO Project Coordinator Abass-Adams Nurudeen said the programme is designed to tackle the barriers many women and young entrepreneurs face, including limited access to skills, finance, technology and markets. African Development Bank Country Manager for Ghana Halimah Hashi described the launch as an important step toward strengthening inclusive growth and social cohesion. She said the programme supports the Bank's wider goal of helping African countries create quality jobs while turning their growing youth population into an economic advantage.

Speaking on behalf of the Government of Ghana, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Ampem Nyarko said the initiative reflects the country's commitment to placing women and young people at the centre of national development. He thanked the African Development Bank Group for its continued support and encouraged beneficiaries to take full advantage of the opportunities created through the programme. GWYESCO also aligns with Ghana's Big Push and 24-Hour Economy initiatives, which focus on expanding infrastructure, boosting productivity, creating jobs and supporting long-term economic transformation.