Paa Debrah in a chat with Sika Osei at the launch
The New Africa Foundation (NAF) has launched a GH¢1,000,000 tertiary-based competition dubbed the ‘University Challenge’, a conventional approach focused on cultivating entrepreneurs and fostering leadership and wealth creation for students.
The inter-university competition, said to last for 10 to 13 weeks, is designed to recruit brains from selected universities across the country to brainstorm and execute solutions to real-life challenges.
Speaking at the launch, the Head of Youth Project, New Africa Foundation, AlbertKusi indicated that the university challenge spans beyond the traditional academic realm, extending from the development of effective governance structures to the establishment of thriving businesses and industrial platforms.
He added that the ideal candidate for the university challenge must be smart, entrepreneurial, solutions-driven, resourceful, a team player, and a student of the selected school working with the New Africa Foundation.
“By encouraging a holistic approach, the University Challenge seeks to redefine the purpose of higher education and empower students to become not just job seekers, but creators of economic opportunities and leaders in their respective fields,” he said.
Mr. Kusi further stated that students are expected alongside a team of their interconnected peers to develop an incubator for theoretical solutions and apply them to real-world problems.
“A minimum of three and five maximum candidates will be selected and be required to form a team, brainstorm an execution plan for the task given, give team roles based on the task, and execute the task to their utmost abilities,” he disclosed.
He also added that a mobilisation fund of GH¢50,000 will be allocated to each team alongside a scholarship prize package to any of the team players who may be in need.
Project Manager, NAF, Mr. PaaDebrah said the annual competition will run for the first quarter of 2024 with auditions starting in January.
“The New Africa Foundation realises the need to support the youth by giving them the platform to nurture their entrepreneurship skills through the university challenge to counter the prevailing misrepresentations on our continent,” he said.
PaaDebrah further stated that the competition will focus on 10 areas which include education, health, national development, global development, religion, humanitarian relief, socio-economic empowerment, youth empowerment and advocacy, women empowerment and advocacy, adding that participants shouldfollow updates on their various social media platforms for information.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke