A Statistics Professor at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Atinuke Olusola Adebanji, has expressed concerns about the increasing number of National Service Scheme (NSS) personnel travelling abroad in search of better opportunities after completing their one-year mandatory service.
Prof. Adebanji attributes this trend to the challenging business environment in Ghana, which she says discourages young graduates from pursuing entrepreneurial ventures.
During her speech at the Financial Economic Seminar 2024, Professor Adebanji called on the government to implement measures to address this issue and create a more supportive environment for entrepreneurship to thrive in the country.
“Because if the system and the space are not conducive for what you are asking them [NSS personnel] to do, they cannot thrive. And the ball comes back to the parents again and the families.
“Even if you put your money into it [entrepreneurship], are they going to thrive? So I want my boss [Stephen Amoah] here to speak to this issue when you come up here. What are you going to do to free the feet of our young ones so that they can run in the entrepreneurship space? Because they are all leaving. My National Service personnel, are all going abroad and this is sad. They don’t stay in Ghana. And I believe that if we make this place more conducive for them, they will stay in Ghana.”
In response, Dr Stephen Amoah, Deputy Minister of Finance, emphasised the importance of the youth remaining in Ghana and exploring entrepreneurship opportunities.
“These days, if you travel and bear with me, you see a lot of foreigners coming into Ghana too. I have never seen it before. So sometimes we think ours is so bad, but others see something in it, and they come.
“The Indians, the Chinese, the Europeans, the Americans—they are coming. If you like, go to the airport and check. For your future to be better off and contribute your quota to building this country, entrepreneurship is the way out.