Labour Intensive Public Work (LIPW) Programme and Youth Migration in Ghana : A Study of Daffiama Bussie Issah District

Mostly, youth in northern Ghana migrate to the south from November to May, the period of high labour demand shortfall as a result of no rainfall for farming activities in the north. This has resulted in the huge concentration of youth in major slumps in Accra and Kumasi and as a consequence, putting a lot of pressure on the already poor social amenities, thereby, worsening living conditions and perpetuating poverty. As a mitigating measure to address this trend of youth out migrating from the northern part of Ghana, the Government of Ghana instituted a Labor Intensive Public Work (LIPW) programme under the World Bank funded Ghana Social Opportunity Project (GSOP). The project constructed dams/dugouts in some communities to engage the youth in dry season farming. This study investigated the impact of the LIPW built facilities on youth out-migration. With the aid of an ANOVA test, the researchers compared three communities with LIPW facility and three communities without LIPW facility in the Daffiama Bussie Issah District. It was revealed that the project has no significant impact on youth out-migration. Using Participatory Learning for Action (PLA) approach, the youth recommended the formation of a dry season farming committee to oversee dry season farming and the formation of a Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) to assist them, in mobilizing funds for dry season farming.