The Ministry of Business Development has launched the Zongo Business Initiative, another flagship policy intervention to give a facelift to the entrepreneurial skills of the people in Zongo communities in the five regions of the north.
The programme aims at building the entrepreneurial skills of the youth in Zongo communities in Ghana for job creation.
The Minister for Business Development, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal highlighted on the theme, Empowering Zongo Youth for inclusive growthHe said the initiative is in consonance with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuo-Addo’s commitment to strengthen the productive capacity of the youth.
The two-day intensive training workshop Dr Ibrahim Awal explained will build the capacities of the men and women in the Zongo communities in the north to own businesses. According to him, more than 60 percent of Ghana’s population is below 30 years, most of whom he added have innovative ideas but lack capital to do business.
Alhaji Awal disclosed that the President has committed 10 million Ghana Cedis to be disbursed to small and medium size businesses in the Zongos across the five regions of the North. He however indicated that only applicants who will submit simple but viable business proposals after the training will be given funds to do their business.
In view of this, the Business Development Minister urged the participants to take the training very seriously in order to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills to become entrepreneurs.
He emphasised that the impact of entrepreneurship on growth stressing “That is why His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo has set out entrepreneurship as a very important element in job creation and building businesses in this country”.
He said the Business Development Ministry is working to build 100 strong and resilient businesses from the current phenomenon of small and medium size businesses in the country from 2021.According to him, at least 30 of those businesses should come from Zongo communities.
Meanwhile, the National Nasara Coordinator of the governing New Patriotic Party, Alhaji Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa thanked President Akufo-Addo for recognizing the importance of the people in the Zongo communities of Ghana.
According to Alhaji Futa, the President’s commitment to transform the Zongo communities is borne out of his understanding and appreciation of the dynamics in the area.
He said hitherto, no government since independence has ever recognised the contribution of Zongos in the country but creating the Inner City and Zongo Development Ministry and also the implementation of the Zongo Business Initiative demonstrates that the Presidentlove the people in the Zongo communities.
According to Alhaji Futa, Zongos have been in the trading enterprise by selling cola nuts and so many other commodities contributing to the GDP growth of Ghana but that, “governments have come governments have gone but none of these governments thought that this community has contributed to the GDP and so let me give them a common platform to be known”.
He commended the Business Development Minister and the Inner City and Zongo Development Minister for collaborating to empower the Zongo inhabitants with business skills to become entrepreneurs and own businesses.
