Some selected entrepreneurs and judges at the event
TEN YOUTH Entrepreneurs within the Greater Accra Region have been selected to receive support under the Innovation Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) component of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA)/Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Work Initiative.
The support, which includes funding, business development services, and access to market, among others, would also be provided to 130 other entrepreneurs selected from other regions in the country.
A business pitching competition was held in Accra to select the 10 entrepreneurs out of 20 participants who competed for opportunities under the scrutiny of judges made up of investors from GEA partner agencies and banks.
The 20 participants were shortlisted from 125 others after undergoing a six months training period where the participants were supported to develop their ideas through a boot camp, business incubation and assigning of mentors to help participants improve ideas.
Deputy Executive of GEA, Anna Armo- Himbson, in her remarks, indicated that the selection of business ideas was based on demonstrated abilities such as financial forecast, innovation and creativity, risk management plan, traction of business plan, sustainability strategy and Kaizen concepts.
The desire to support youth entrepreneurs, she noted, was based on the core mandate of GEA to promote the creation of Micro, Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (MSME) and sustaining them.
“We are to nurse and incubate fantastic business ideas that have the potential to address the problems of society and address the problems of unemployment.
“It is only through these that Ghana can reposition itself on the track of growth after the devasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on economies,” she said.
Municipal Chief Executive of Adenta Municipal Assembly (AdMA), Daniel Alexander Nii-Noi Adumuah, encouraged the youth to look at making ideas lucrative as opposed to depending on white collar jobs.
He also urged them to seek assistance from experienced individuals and institutions on how to fine-tune their ideas.
By Issah Mohammed