Government grooms 22,500 students under entrepreneurship initiative

Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, the Minister of Business Development on Tuesday announced that over 22,500 students in second cycle and tertiary education institutions are benefitting from Student Entrepreneurship Initiative.

He said 7,500 students in the senior high schools and 15,000 at the tertiary level were benefiting from the grooming programme.

Dr. Mohammed Awal announced this when he took his turn at the Meet-the-Press series in Accra.

He said exposing senior high school students to business concepts and plans at an early age would help to build their entrepreneurship culture.

He said the initiative has the tendency for students to think entrepreneurial and begin to develop projects and services while in school.

The programme, he said, would boost the entrepreneurship ecosystem and deepen their various entrepreneurial capacity.

“Under the Presidential Pitch 1, over 200 Jobs have been created with funding provided to Young Entrepreneurs between 18 and 35 years with brilliant business ideas.

"Twenty young entrepreneurs were assisted last year with funding, ranging from GHC25,000.00 to GHC50,000.00,“ he said.

Under the Presidential Pitch Two, the Minister said, more than 800 applications were received, of which 20 were selected.

He said 10 applicants made it to the final with funding between GHC25,000 to GHC60,000.

The Minister said President Akufo-Addo made a personal donation of GHC40,000 to the overall winner.