Delivery riders will be trained and certified in 2027: what the budget promises young job hunters

If you deliver food or parcels on a motorbike, the government wants to train and certify you next year.

The 2027 Budget Statement, released on Thursday, November 12, says a new Youth in Courier and Related Services Programme will start in 2027. It will train and certify young people, including okada riders.

The aim, according to the Statement, is to "professionalise and bring greater order" to courier and last-mile delivery, and turn it into "a safer, more productive and dependable source of employment".

The Statement does not yet say how to sign up, where the training will happen or whether it costs anything. There is more on the rules for okada riders in this look at the new Road Traffic Regulations.

YEA wants 100,000 young people in 2027

This year, 73,537 young people went through the Youth Employment Agency's 13 job modules. Next year the agency wants at least 100,000.

The government is also lifting the cap on money set aside for youth employment, which the budget says will free up an extra GH¢1 billion for youth jobs and apprenticeships.

The Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment gets GH¢3.5 billion, including GH¢2 billion for youth employment and skills programmes.

Doing national service?

National Service allowances get GH¢1 billion in 2027.

The National Service Authority has also built a Work Readiness and Leadership Programme to teach every service person soft skills. Training was due to start this month.

Starting something

The youth ministry has drafted a Youth Start-Up Bill to set up a legal framework for creating and growing start-ups. The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme gets GH¢170 million, and the Digital Youth Hub GH¢105 million.

The biggest tech line is US$300 million over 2027 and 2028 for a National Artificial Intelligence Centre and for upgrading rural 2G networks to 4G. The centre is meant to train young people in software, data, AI and digital business.

The target

The budget puts unemployment at about 12.8 per cent in 2025. The government says it wants it below 8 per cent by 2030.

All the big figures are in the 2027 Budget in numbers, and the eight parts of the New Economy plan are explained here.