Ghana has signed an agreement with Russia to facilitate the recruitment of Ghanaian workers for industrial and manufacturing jobs, in a move aimed at expanding employment opportunities for young people abroad.

The agreement was signed on Thursday, October 29, by Labour Minister Emmanuel Agyekum and the director of Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone, an industrial hub comprising 48 companies with a workforce requirement of more than 75,000.

Under the arrangement, Ghana’s Labour Ministry will coordinate the recruitment process, verify job offers and provide pre-departure orientation to protect the interests of Ghanaian workers seeking employment in Russia.

Speaking after the signing, Mr Agyekum said the partnership would go beyond labour migration to cover business-to-business cooperation, education, research, religion and cultural exchange.

“We signed a fantastic agreement, not only on labour exchange. We are also looking at business-to-business cooperation. We’re looking at religion and culture as well, where we want to work further to make sure our cooperation goes beyond just labour migration,” he said.

He explained that the two countries were also exploring academic partnerships that would enable Ghanaian professors and lecturers to collaborate with universities in Russia on research initiatives.

Mr Agyekum added that Ghanaian businesses would participate in upcoming forums in Tatarstan to explore potential partnerships and investment opportunities.

He further encouraged young people in Ghana to take advantage of the employment opportunities expected to emerge from the agreement.

The initiative is expected to strengthen cooperation between Ghana and Russia while creating opportunities for Ghanaian workers, businesses and academic institutions to engage with their Russian counterparts.