Sir Sam Jonah: ‘A nation of job-seekers will always be poor’

The businessman said African countries would struggle to overcome poverty and unemployment if a significant proportion of their young populations continued to view government employment as the preferred or only path to economic security.

Sir Sam Jonah made the remarks on Thursday, October 15, 2026, when he addressed the Methodist University Ghana International Conference 2026, organised to commemorate the institution’s 25th anniversary.

He called for a renewed appreciation of enterprise and business creation, stressing that young people must be encouraged to see entrepreneurship as a respectable and viable career option.

“Make enterprise respectable again. Too many of our brightest young people still see business as something you do only if you could not get a government job. A nation of job-seekers will always be poor. We need a nation of job-creators.”

For many young graduates, he said securing employment after completing tertiary education remains a major challenge.

Government institutions have traditionally been viewed as attractive employers because of the perceived stability and benefits associated with public-sector work.

Beyond encouraging young people to create jobs, Sir Sam Jonah also called on African governments to do more to retain their brightest graduates by creating conditions that allow them to build successful careers and businesses in their home countries.

“We educate brilliant young people, at great cost, and then offer them nothing to do. Some sit at home. Some leave. Our best export is too often our best people. A sustainable Africa is one that keeps its talent working at home, not because they have no choice, but because home offers the best opportunity.”