Ghana Institute of Foresters (GIF) National Treasurer, Vicent Kusi Kyei, says the country is struggling with unemployment because it has failed to properly manage its natural resources, especially its lands and forests.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he said many young people are jobless because they are simply trying to survive, not because they lack the will to work.
“There are no jobs in this country. People are just trying to survive,” he stated.
Mr. Kusi Kyei argued that if the Forestry Commission is given full responsibility over Ghana’s lands, unemployment would drastically reduce because the sector alone can create thousands of sustainable jobs.
“If Forestry Commission is allowed to take charge of Ghana’s lands, there will be no unemployment. We will make use of the lands and work,” he said.
He explained that the Commission could begin by restoring areas where trees have been burnt or destroyed.
According to him, the process would create jobs across the entire value chain, from nurseries to monitoring and harvesting.
He noted that the Forestry Commission could employ people to raise quality seedlings at provincial centres and nurse them until they are ready for planting.
“We will get people to raise the seedlings, nurse them well, and take them to the field,” he said.
After planting, additional workers would be needed to protect and monitor the growing trees.
“We will get officials to monitor the trees, replace the ones that die, and ensure the field is properly maintained,” he added.
Mr. Kusi Kyei said the Commission could also create research-based jobs to determine how to improve planting methods before factories are allowed to harvest the timber.
“The value chain will be great if we handle it well,” he emphasized.
Drawing from his experience abroad, he said that during his stay in Canada, even students were sometimes allowed to plant trees at forest reserves as part of national environmental efforts.
“Where I lived in Canada, students were allowed to plant trees. It worked there, and it can work in Ghana too,” he said.
However, he expressed sadness that such simple and effective strategies are not applied in Ghana.
“It’s very worrying that we can do these things but we don’t,” he lamented.
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