A report compiled by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Child Rights International, has shown that 55% of children in Ghana dream of migrating to other parts of the world in the next 20 years in search of greener pastures.

The report, which was conducted between June 2020 and April 2021, had over 11,000 children aged between 12 and 17 from all 16 regions taking part in the survey.

“55% of the respondents say they wish to migrate to another country, while 11% would either stay in the country or leave”, the report said.

The majority of the respondents cited greener pastures, education, and a better standard of living as reasons why they would leave the country when there is a chance.

Speaking to Citi News after the launch of the report, the Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah, said successive governments must put systems in place to avert the situation.

“The children who want to leave the country are leaving for a reason. So clearly, if you are able to put things in place, we would affirm the belief system of our children in this country and they will contribute their quota. There are things that are going on that show that we do not have a national agenda that the children have an understanding of.

“So they feel that most of the things are done according to their own dictates. But we should clearly spell out the national agenda. Once we are able to do that, children will drive that agenda. We have to be very certain about where the country is going because the children are confused and not certain, they don’t think that when they are in Ghana, things will be alright for them. We need to give them that assurance”, Mr. Appiah said.

Report summary

The survey found out that national pride is widespread among Ghanaian children.

Although some of the children are hopeful about the future of the country in the next two decades, many children are wary of the current economic and social conditions (living standards).

The findings suggest that there must be a conscious effort by the government to provide a better standard of living for the citizenry.

However, looking at the future, the children see the country as heading in the right direction.

The survey findings also indicate that some of the respondents believe that the country can change in the next 20 years by addressing such problems as corruption and unemployment as well as encourage entrepreneurship, limiting the powers of politicians, and investing in quality education.

Finally, the results suggest that religious influence in the country is likely to change in the next two decades as more children embrace the idea that hard work, educational qualification, and individual talents are important factors they need to succeed in life rather than religious beliefs and practices.