The Coalition for Positive Impact (CPI), a youth-led non-governmental organisation (NGO), has supported 10 young people in northern Ghana with start-up capital ranging from GH₵1,000.00 to GH₵10,000.00 to enable to them to implement their business ideas.
This was through the Igniting Dreams (ID) programme, an entrepreneurship development initiative of the CPI, to select and support young people with viable business ideas but unable to implement those ideas due to lack of capital.
It was also to support already existing youth-led businesses to scale up.
Speaking at a seminar in Wa to mark the fifth edition of the programme, Mr Maazu Bayuoni, the Executive Director of CPI, said the programme had so far impacted more than 1000 young people in northern Ghana and created job opportunities for many.
The seminar, on the theme: “Wealth Creation in the 21st Century”, brought together young people from the five regions of the north to provide them with business development skills as part of efforts to bridge the unemployment gap in the country.
Mr Bayuoni said the 10 beneficiaries, selected from over 70 applications, were also taken through a series of business development training including mentorship to enable them to properly develop those ideas.
He explained that the ID Programme, started in 2018, sought to provide business development training, mentorship, and seed funding for young entrepreneurs in northern Ghana.
“These resources help them acquire the required leadership skills and the funding needed to launch, sustain, and scale their businesses,” he said.
He cited Madam Hamza Mabruka and Madam Kipo Olivia, who benefited from the ID programme, and had established businesses and employed many young people, confirming the rationale for the establishment of the programme.
Mr Banguu Delle, the Chief Operations Officer of Carepoint, and CPI’s Board Chairman, challenged young people to set life goals and not to be limited by their self-limiting imaginations.
“The youth of Ghana have what it takes to change their situations and turn around the country for the better if they are inspired or encouraged to do that,” he said.
Madam Mumuni Amina of AmiShea Company Limited in the Savannah Region won the 2023 Igniting Dreams Gold Prize and took home GH₵10,000.00, while Madam Vida Atiah of UniDev ventures, Upper East Region, took the Silver Prize of GHC7,000.00 to expand her business.
The Bronze prize went to Madam Caroline Domonaangmen Dari of Royal Avielle Ventures in the Upper West Region, and took away GH₵5,000.00.
Her company also won the People’s Choice Prize and had an additional GH₵5,000.00, while IT Hub in the Upper West Region won GH₵3,000.00 for the fourth-placed prize.
The other six businesses took home GH₵1,000.00 each to support their business development.
The 10 fellows were taken through a month-long intensive business development training before the final pitching competition that saw them clinch their various prizes.