Ghana’s national service scheme will post graduate entrepreneurs to their own firms

The Chief Executive of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), John Kumah told Accra-based Citi FM that this will help the government close the unemployment gap in the country.

“Government wants to change the paradigm of job creation in the status quo which is that when you finish school somebody has to employ you. We know there are limited spaces for employment and one of the key avenues to employ people is to help them be the solution to the problem.”

He explained that this move will allow graduate entrepreneurs to develop their passion and be more productive even after school.

The government has decided to do this after a successful pilot last year which saw 20 of such graduates complete their national service programmes working on their own projects.

The NEIP last year arranged for some graduates to continue operating their businesses as part of the National Service Scheme while they received their monthly allowance from the National Service Secretariat.

After successful completion of the pilot, NEIP says it has completed discussions with the National Service Secretariat to allow more graduates who own their business do their national service without searching for placements with other companies.

Mr Kumah is optimistic this development will encourage entrepreneurship among graduates.