Ghana Startup Network in collaboration with Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and National Youth Authority (NYA) amongst a host of other partners under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry over the weekend officially launched this year’s Ghana Startups and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) week with huge commitment from key stakeholders.
The launch marks the beginning of a one-week period set aside to celebrate Ghanaian startups and SMEs.
A Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, In-charge of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei launched the 2022 edition with a call on Ghanaians to be inspired by their desire to create their own businesses.
“We need to be able to develop our entrepreneurial skills. People who are now able to set up organizations worth millions were not born with blue or green blood. It’s not the colour of one’s skin or hair, it is rather the ability to use one’s mind first and make oneself in terms of discipline… more than giving unnecessary excuses,” she said.
The Deputy Minister who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akuapem North in the Eastern Region, opined, “we need to be able to equip ourselves more and we need to be able to wean ourselves out of the idea of entitlement and instead equip ourselves with the idea of motivating ourselves to get to where we are, where we want to reach. If you come with authority, you will only be disappointed”.
Speaking at the launch, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Mr. Pius Enam Hadzide, said that the government believes that the solution to the country’s unemployment situation lies in the private sector and not the public sector.
“We agree that recruitment in the public sector should increase, but it is only the service of an effective public service that a functional private sector can undermine. The problem of youth unemployment anywhere in the world can be solved with public sector intervention. has not been done,” he added.
Mr. Hadzide used the opportunity to call on all stakeholders to come on board in order to support the youth to become job givers instead of job seekers.
For his part, Mr. Solomon Adjei, the Executive Director of the Ghana Startup Network, the principal organizers of the event expressed his gratitude to the various institutions for their support and commitment to assist his outfit in its quest to support startup businesses across the country.
The Executive Director also explained that the Ghana Startups and SME Week 2022, scheduled for November this year, will have a series of activities taking place at various locations with specific target audiences and resource persons.
Scheduled activities, according to Mr. Adjei, include Student Entrepreneurship Forum, Persons With Disabilities (PWD) Entrepreneurship Forum, Young Entrepreneurs Summit, Ghana Startup and SME Trade Fair; and Ghana Social Enterprise Forum.
The rest are Ghana Venture Investment Forum and Startup Demo Day, Startup and SME Stakeholder Assembly, Ghana Startup and SME Beauty and Fashion Are included. Show, and Young Entrepreneur Award amongst other activities.
Speaking on the theme for this year’s celebration: “Innovate, Collaborate and Invest for Greater Impact”, Mr. Adjei called on all stakeholders and corporate Ghanaians to come together as partners and sponsors in cash, goods or services.
The event presents an excellent opportunity and platform to dialogue, network and cross-fertilize ideas on how people can better and collectively partner to support the start-ups and SME ecosystem, thereby helping to remove youth unemployment canker in the country.
