Professor Godfred Bokpin of the University of Ghana Business School has called on the Mahama administration to shift its economic focus from headline Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth to deliberate and sustained job creation, particularly for Ghana’s growing unemployed youth population.
Speaking on Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, December 27, Prof. Bokpin argued that while GDP growth remains an important macroeconomic indicator, it no longer tells the full story of economic wellbeing, especially in countries grappling with high youth unemployment.
“The economy will continue to dominate political discussions, especially when we are talking about job growth. We have to look beyond GDP growth and focus on job growth. People have finished school, and they are looking for jobs,” he said.
According to the respected economist, several countries are now rethinking their reliance on GDP as the primary measure of progress, opting instead for broader development indicators that reflect employment levels, income security, and quality of life. Ghana, he noted, must learn from these evolving global approaches if it hopes to build a resilient and inclusive economy.
Prof. Bokpin’s comments come amid renewed public debate about the true impact of economic growth on ordinary citizens, particularly young graduates who continue to face limited employment opportunities despite reported improvements in macroeconomic performance.
Interestingly, his position aligns with recent remarks from government officials who have also acknowledged the limitations of GDP as a standalone indicator. On November 17, the government stated that the 2026 Budget was deliberately crafted to drive economic transformation and reduce poverty, stressing that GDP growth alone does not fully capture improvements in living standards.
This view was articulated at the KPMG/UNDP 2026 Post-Budget Forum held in Accra, where the Ministry of Finance emphasised the need for a more holistic assessment of economic progress. Speaking on behalf of the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Chief Economist Officer and Director of the Real Sector Division at the Ministry of Finance, Samuel Danquah Arkhurst, underscored the importance of moving beyond traditional economic metrics when evaluating national development.
While both economists and policymakers appear to agree on the need to rethink how economic success is measured, Prof. Bokpin’s intervention adds urgency to the conversation placing job creation at the centre of Ghana’s development agenda as the country navigates economic recovery and long-term growth.
