ILO Partnership Boosts Jobs, Wages and Enterprise Growth Across Ghana

ACCRA, Ghana – More than 4,000 new jobs, improved wages and better working conditions are among the gains recorded through the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work Programme in Ghana, which has launched its second phase to expand opportunities for workers, businesses and communities. Supported by the Governments of Switzerland and Norway, the programme has assisted 321 enterprises, benefiting more than 27,000 workers. Women secured over 40 per cent of the new jobs, demonstrating how productivity improvements can support inclusive economic growth. Phase II will build on these achievements by strengthening Ghana’s garment and shea industries, improving enterprise competitiveness, expanding market access and ensuring productivity gains translate into decent work.

The programme combines enterprise support, policy reforms and social dialogue to address barriers to productivity and employment. During Phase I, technical assistance helped garment manufacturers in Accra, Kumasi, Koforidua and Tamale improve production processes, strengthen quality management and reduce inefficiencies. Training in lean manufacturing and the ILO’s Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) methodology strengthened management practices, occupational safety and cooperation between workers and employers.

The programme also supported industry advocacy and international trade promotion, enabling Ghanaian garment manufacturers to showcase products, connect with potential buyers and explore new markets. Through partnerships with the Association of Ghana Apparel Manufacturers, the programme strengthened industry representation and supported advocacy for increased local procurement of Ghanaian-made garments, creating opportunities to stimulate domestic production and employment.

In Ghana’s shea industry, the programme supported the establishment of employers’ and workers’ organisations and facilitated the sector’s first Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The ILO support helped us access new markets, compete and find new buyers

Ms. Awura Abena Agyeman - CEO of WEAR Ghana

Thirteen shea processing centres have signed the agreement, covering more than 2,200 workers. It establishes a framework for addressing wages, working hours, workplace safety, social protection and job security. The programme also supported a minimum pricing mechanism for shea nuts, creating a framework to protect producers against prices falling below agreed thresholds. Ghana Trades Union Congress Secretary-General Joshua Ansah welcomed these achievements, emphasising that productivity gains must deliver fair wages, safer workplaces, stronger social protection and improved skills.

Ghana’s Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, commended the ILO and development partners for strengthening labour institutions and advancing decent work. He called for Phase II to generate sustainable employment, particularly for young people, while improving working conditions and supporting Ghana’s Decent Work Country Programme. Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare highlighted the garment and shea industries’ potential to expand exports, strengthen local value chains and improve livelihoods, particularly for women and youth. She welcomed Ghana’s textiles and garments policy, which targets substantial investment and employment growth.

Dr Vanessa Phala, Director of the ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, underscored the importance of ensuring that productivity gains translate into tangible improvements in people's lives. “Productivity growth must deliver more than stronger businesses; it must create decent jobs, improve incomes, strengthen workers’ rights and open new opportunities for women and young people. The achievements recorded in Ghana demonstrate what government, employers and workers can accomplish through sustained collaboration. As we embark on Phase II, our priority is to deepen these gains, strengthen institutions and ensure that economic growth delivers lasting benefits for workers, enterprises and communities,” she said.

The Ghana Employers’ Association welcomed the programme’s contribution to enterprise competitiveness, stronger sector organisations and improved labour relations. It urged Phase II to strengthen technical skills, accelerate technological upgrading and expand domestic and international market opportunities. Swiss Ambassador Dr Thomas Oertle reaffirmed Switzerland’s partnership with the ILO and Norway, emphasising that competitive enterprises and decent working conditions reinforce sustainable economic development.

ILO training helped me improve quality, resource efficiency, staff skills and occupational safety and health

Ms. Patience Lacera Zakaria - CEO of Yumzaa Processing Centre and Vice President of the Ghana Shea Employers Association

By 2030, the programme aims to strengthen productivity institutions, advance evidence-based policies, develop garment-sector skills and improve technology and market access in shea. The next phase will also promote stronger social dialogue, support evidence-informed industrial policies and strengthen collaboration between government institutions, employers and workers to sustain productivity improvements. Through these partnerships, the ILO seeks to translate productivity gains into stronger enterprises, better jobs, improved livelihoods and shared prosperity for Ghanaians.

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