President Mahama inaugurates Academy

President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated the Mauritius campus of the African Leadership Academy (AL Group), a private tertiary institution, founded by a Ghanaian entrepreneur, Fred Swaniker.

A statement from the Presidency on Wednesday and copied the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said he was joined at the short inaugural ceremony at the Beau Plan Business Park by the Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius, Hon. Charles Xavier-Luc Duval.

"I willingly accepted to include this inauguration as part of my three-day visit, in order to encourage Mr Swaniker to keep up with his chosen line of investment, education across the continent," President Mahama noted.

He also encouraged the founder of the Academy and other Ghanaian entrepreneurs to identify such business opportunities across the continent and help tackle "Africa’s major challenges".

The AL Group already has an Academy in South Africa. It has however chosen to base the headquarters in Mauritius.

President Mahama called for transformational education and entrepreneurial training across the African continent to prepare graduates to tackle head-on the challenges of the world.

"That is what we need across the developing world. In Ghana, we have intensified skills development as a full educational course through vocational and technical education.

"It is only when we begin to challenge our young ones to think and be innovative that we can reduce increasing youth unemployment," he stated.