Speaking to China's CGTN, he said Africa is the youngest continent and the solution is not public sector work but private sector development.
"The biggest issue for our country and indeed for the continent of Africa is finding work for our young people," President Akufo-Addo said.
"As you know, Africa is the youngest continent in the world in terms of its population. So the solution cannot just be public sector work. It has to be private sector development, and that means entrepreneurship.
"They are putting a lot of emphasis on encouraging young people to become entrepreneurs so that they can work for themselves and create jobs for others".
He recalled a meeting with Chinese billionaire Jack Ma in which he urged the business man to visit Ghana.
"I met him in China whenever I was in Beijing, and we agreed that he would come to Ghana to help us develop ideas for entrepreneurship. And true enough, he lived up to his word. He came in November, we had the Africa Netpreneur Summit, which he put together – very successful and encouraging – especially people having access to a man like that who has done so much to promote all kinds of industries, new businesses in the world. If he could do it, it is possible that other people can do it," he said.