The Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Hon. Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, has encouraged young entrepreneurs to be innovative and come up with new ideas to build new systems and structures that could strengthen their operational capacities and access government support.
According to her, the government recognised the importance of entrepreneurship hence the launch of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) to provide a seven-million-dollar grant to assist entrepreneurship hubs to support self-businesses for economic growth.
Mrs Sackey said this on Monday at an Entrepreneurship and Career Fair Summit 2023 organised by VODEC Africa at the Accra City Hall under the theme: “Harnessing and Exploiting the 21st Century Economic Opportunities in Entrepreneurship and Career Development.”
“So, my dear brothers and sisters don’t sit on the fence. Let us be partakers in nation-building. The money is sitting there go for it and use it to do things that will enhance the growth of our economy and the nation,” she stated.
She urged young entrepreneurs to take advantage of the programme which would focus on businesses operating in agriculture, technology and innovation, light manufacturing and processing waste and green businesses as well as technical and vocational skills.
She pointed out that entrepreneurs could come up with ideas but not every idea was worth pursuing adding that to be successful, entrepreneurs needed to identify consumer demand and ensure that they meet the feasibility of satisfying them.
The Chief Executive used the opportunity to entreat the youth to network with their forebearers to tap into their experiences.
Rev Dr Lawrence Tetteh, a Pastor and a renowned International Evangelist who was the chairman for the occasion asked upcoming entrepreneurs to avoid cutting corners.
“Learn how to crawl, walk, ran before attempting to fly. There are many privileges and opportunities in career and entrepreneurship, but we miss them because we don’t learn.”
Rev Dr Tetteh advised them to seize the opportunity at every given stage of life and work through them and stop the copycat and also avoid the get-rich-quick habit.
Mr Daniel Asomani, the Chief Executive of VODEC Africa said the organisation has become a beacon of hope for many youths in Ghana.
“Even with the government policies of one district one factory and other flagship programmes to provide jobs for the Ghanaian youth, it has become urgent for us to broaden our scope of operation,” he stated.
