Leading Ghanaian business-oriented media firm B&FT has launched the Youth Economic Forum, an initiative set to provide young Ghanaian entrepreneurs with valuable skills for navigating Ghana’s ever-evolving business landscape.
The event, held at the Kofi Ohene-Konadu Auditorium at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), brought together leading voices from Ghana’s business sector, along with strategic partners from Ecobank and UPSA, to engage and educate students present.
Chief Executive Officer Dr. Gideon Acquaye expressed great optimism about the initiative’s potential impact and its ability to translate real-time business knowledge to a younger generation. “Over the years we have been organizing Ghana Economic Forum which had public figures and ministers of states but this time around we at B&FT wanted to involve the youth and young entrepreneurs and bring you the opportunities and all that you need to thrive in today’s business world.”
Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Professor John Kwaku Mensah, shared similar sentiments on the importance of the initiative and thanked B&FT, along with its partners and economic thought leaders, for the opportunity extended to students.
Professor Mensah encouraged students to take full advantage of the initiative, regardless of their level of familiarity with entrepreneurship. “If we got what you are getting today earlier in some years ago, I believe that we would have been way ahead of ourselves. The partnership with corporate Ghana brings the youth of the school a particular asset which is requisite to thrive in this contemporary world.”
“You don’t need capital to start a business. Generate the idea, because capital is looking for ideas to be invested into.” he shared while speaking on the readiness of partners like Ecobank to embrace the business ideas of young people and scale them into full-fledged businesses.
The initiative aligns with the theme, “From Potential To Prosperity: Youth Driving the New Economy.” According to YEF Secretariat Team Lead Nicholas Gyamfi, the forum goes beyond financial aid and carries a broader vision of strengthening Africa’s economy by leveraging the potential of young people in Ghana. “This whole initiative is about the Ghanaian economy and how we can expand it to the whole world; we have about 100,000 youths that we are willing to support. The YEF initiative is open for all and today is the first phase of establishing this community,”
Head of Marketing and Branding at Ecobank Ghana PLC, Regina Ofori, in an engagement with YFM, reiterated the importance of youth involvement in conversations surrounding business and Ghana’s economy. She noted that Ecobank has “the youth at the heart of everything that we do.”
“Over the years we’ve done a lot of events and we have a lot of partnerships aimed at empowering the youth and supporting them with non-financial and financial solutions and so when B&FT approached us we thought that why not. Let’s support them and do this together and we can support a lot of youth with our human resource and in all the things that they are doing and today we are happy to be here.” She added.
Students were thrilled by real-life lessons shared by Chief Executive Officer of Maxwell Investment Group, Dr. Maxwell Ampong, who reflected on his early days in business and how he built a solid enterprise against the odds.
Participants were also taken through two insightful masterclasses on Marketing Skills for Small Businesses and Financial Intelligence for Young Leaders.
