In a significant step towards formalizing and regulating labor migration, the government has launched an Inter-Ministerial Technical and Steering Committee to lead its ambitious Work Abroad Program.
The committee, which is co-chaired by the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Hon. Dr Rashid Pelpuo, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Mr. Malik Basintale, is tasked with ensuring the structured and safe export of skilled Ghanaian labor to international markets.
At the official launch event, Malik Basintale, who will play a critical operational role in the program, shared insights into the government’s vision and objectives.
He highlighted that the primary goal is not simply to send Ghanaians abroad, but to strategically deploy skilled labor that will contribute to national development both abroad and upon return.
“First, I would like to thank the Minister for his remarkable interest in this particular program. In fact, seated right here, you realize the honorable minister was whispering to me, and all he said was, Malik, let’s ensure that this works effectively.”
Malik Basinatale, CEO YEA
Addressing some misconceptions about the initiative, Malik Basintale was emphatic that the Work Abroad Program was not designed to encourage aimless migration.
Rather, the YEA CEO indicated the initiative aims to match individuals’ skills with the labor demands of host countries, ensuring that only qualified and capable Ghanaians are deployed.
“There are people who think that our aim is to send people out there just to loiter about. But anytime anyone calls me, the first question I ask is, What is your skill and what can you do in that particular country?”
Malik Basinatale, CEO YEA
A Sustainable Development Approach
Malik Basintale articulated a broader national vision: one where Ghanaians travel abroad to gain critical skills, experience, and exposure, and later return home to contribute to local economic growth.
Drawing an analogy from Cuba’s celebrated export of medical professionals, he envisioned a future where Ghana boasts “Cuban carpenters, Cuban masons, Cuban electricians” — citizens who have trained abroad and returned to share their expertise.
“Instead of importing labor, We’ll rather have our people go there, learn, and come back to train our people”, he remarked.
This approach, he said, would position Ghana not only as a source of reliable skilled labor globally but also as a country investing strategically in human capital for its own national development.
A key pillar of the Work Abroad Program is the government’s determination to end exploitative and unregulated labor migration practices.
Malik Basintale criticized the current informal migration system where individuals pay exorbitant sums — often between GHS 200,000 and GHS 300,000 — to middlemen for dubious overseas opportunities.
“You can decide to call us the sole assayer and exporter of labor and would gladly accept our role because our mandate will be to see the people who would want to go out there, we take them there, and then we bring them back”.
Malik Basinatale, CEO YEA
Malik Basintale was generous in his praise for the various stakeholders who had worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the launch of the Work Abroad Program possible.
He specifically thanked the Work Abroad Directorate, the technical teams, and all contributing ministries and agencies for their dedication and commitment.
A Response to Youth Unemployment
For his part, Labour Minister Dr. Rashid Pelpuo said the inauguration of the committee was a major breakthrough in the government’s drive to create employment avenues for the teeming youth of Ghana.
He noted that far too many young people remain jobless after completing university, technical, or secondary education, and the Work Abroad Program is a timely intervention to change this narrative.
“This is a very important day. We are inaugurating both the inter-ministerial steering and technical committees to formally commence work on this critical program. A lot of Ghanaians are unemployed. The youth are eager to work but do not have the opportunities. This initiative is designed with them in mind.”
Hon. Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment
He emphasized that the program is youth-centered and would not cater to older Ghanaians who are already settled in the country.
Dr. Pelpuo commended Malik Basintale and the Youth Employment Agency for their key role in coordinating the outreach, mobilization, and deployment of young participants under the program.
“Malik is a very key stakeholder and will have central control in mobilizing young people and getting them into this enterprise. The youth are clustered around the Youth Employment Agency, and we are proud to have them as our critical partner in this mission”.
Hon. Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment
With the formal establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Technical and Steering Committee, the government is signaling its seriousness in ensuring that the Work Abroad Program becomes a major pillar of youth employment, skill development, and diaspora engagement policy.
The program is expected to begin piloting its first batch of participants later this year, targeting high-demand sectors such as construction, healthcare, information technology, and agriculture.
As President John Dramani Mahama’s government continues to prioritize jobs and skills development under its broader economic transformation agenda, the Work Abroad Program is being positioned not just as a migration scheme but as a visionary national development strategy.
If successfully implemented, it could redefine Ghana’s labor migration landscape, moving from informal, often exploitative practices to a structured, regulated, and mutually beneficial model of international labor exchange.
READ ALSO: GOIL to Showcase Energy Investment Strategy at Accra Investor Briefing
