Hon. Eric Edem Agbana Calls for Equity in Education to Unlock Ghana’s Youth Potential on World Population Day

Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Hon. Eric Edem Agbana, has called for deliberate and equitable investment in education, skills training and digital infrastructure to ensure Ghana’s youthful population becomes a driver of national development.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday during the commemoration of World Population Day 2026, Hon. Agbana was contributing to a statement delivered by the Deputy Minority Leader.

The Ketu North MP noted that population and development are inseparable, and that a youthful population alone does not guarantee economic growth.

“Potential only translates into a demographic dividend when we invest in our people — starting from the basic level of education,” he said.

Hon. Agbana expressed concern over structural inequalities in the education system, particularly the gap between rural and urban schools. He cited data showing that many public basic schools in rural districts recorded zero passes in the BECE, a situation he said denies children equal opportunity.

“A child born in a village should have the same chance as a child in Accra or Kumasi attending top schools. Right now, that is not the case,” he stated.

On skills development, the MP welcomed government’s National Apprenticeship Program but urged for increased budgetary allocation to make it more effective. He said technical and vocational training remains the most practical route for school dropouts and unemployed youth to gain livelihoods.

Hon. Agbana also stressed the need to expand digital literacy. While commending initiatives like the One Million Coders Program and Girls in ICT, he pointed out infrastructure gaps.

“In my constituency, out of about 88 basic schools, fewer than 10 have computers. How do we talk about digital skills when the basic tools are not there?” he asked.

He concluded that building human capital through fair access to quality education, employable skills, and digital tools is critical if Ghana is to harness its population for sustainable development.