The Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Director for Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia, Dr Vanessa F. Phala, have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration on decent work, job creation, skills development and workers’ rights.

The commitment was reaffirmed when Dr Phala and an ILO delegation paid a courtesy call on the Minister to introduce the team and discuss ongoing and future areas of cooperation with the Ministry.

Dr Phala said the partnership would focus on priorities under the Decent Work Country Programme 2026–2030, including employment creation, social protection and the protection of workers’ rights.

She assured the Ministry of the ILO’s continued technical support in employment policy, labour market governance, occupational safety and health, labour legislation and productivity.

Dr Phala also highlighted key ILO-supported initiatives, including the EU-Ghana Pact for Skills, Productivity Ecosystems, Jobs and Agriculture, and ACCEL Africa, which seeks to eliminate child labour from selected supply chains.

Mr Agyekum welcomed the collaboration, emphasising the importance of skills development and productivity measurement in addressing Ghana’s employment challenges.

“Skill development to me is very key,” he said, calling for greater investment in practical and technical skills in areas such as renewable energy, agriculture and fabrication.

On labour migration, the Minister urged stronger collaboration to promote fair recruitment practices and protect Ghanaians seeking employment abroad.

“Fair recruitment is very important,” he said, stressing that Ghanaian migrant workers must be treated with dignity.

Mr Agyekum also reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating child labour and protecting children from hazardous work.

“Our future is based on these young people,” he said, underscoring the need to safeguard children and protect their opportunities for the future.

He further called for stronger occupational safety and health measures in workplaces, including basic life-support training to improve workers’ safety.

The meeting ended with both sides expressing their commitment to deepening the longstanding Ghana-ILO partnership to expand employment opportunities, improve productivity and promote decent working conditions for Ghanaians.