Ghana’s transition to a circular economy could serve as a critical lever in addressing youth unemployment and accelerating inclusive, low-carbon industrialization, according to Eric Gyenin, Country Coordinator for the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Speaking at an event in Takoradi, Gyenin positioned the initiative as both an economic and environmental imperative.
At the center of this transition is the Ghana Circular Economy Centre (GCEC) Project, a five-year programme spearheaded by UNIDO in collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation. The initiative is funded by Global Affairs Canada and strategically targets three high-waste, high-potential sectors: agriculture and agro-processing, textiles, and plastics.
From Waste to Workforce
The core argument behind the GCEC initiative is that linear economic models—based on extraction, production, and disposal—are incompatible with both sustainable development and employment expansion. In contrast, circular systems close resource loops, extend product lifecycles, and create new industrial processes that demand skills, services, and entrepreneurship.
The circular shift is expected to generate demand for roles in repair, remanufacturing, recycling logistics, digital platforms for product lifecycle tracking, and research into material substitution—sectors that are labour-intensive and offer pathways for youth and women, particularly in Ghana’s informal economy.
Additional institutional collaborators include the University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the OR Foundation, underscoring a multi-stakeholder approach to systemic change.
Policy Alignment and Economic Strategy
Gyenin also emphasized the relevance of the GCEC to the Ghanaian government’s broader 24-Hour Economy policy—a plan to stimulate productivity by encouraging industries to operate continuously. “If Ghana wants her economy to run round the clock, then everything must go circular,” he argued, pointing out that a circular economy offers the raw material resilience and production continuity necessary for such a strategy.
The initiative aligns with Ghana’s industrialization agenda, particularly in supporting climate-resilient value chains. By embedding circularity, Ghana could reduce its reliance on virgin imports, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and unlock green industrial policy instruments, such as eco-design mandates and producer responsibility frameworks.
The project’s emphasis on decentralizing industrial capability—placing the centre in Ho and leveraging regional academic partnerships—reflects a deliberate effort to spread development beyond Accra. In doing so, the GCEC Project positions itself as not only an economic intervention, but also a structural adjustment toward regional equity, climate resilience, and long-term competitiveness.
