Dr Kwabena Adjei, Founder of the “Kasapreko Company Limited”, has been adjudged the “Overall Best Industrious Personality of the Year” in the 2019 “Made In Ghana Awards (MIGA)” ceremony spearheaded by the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana.

The 2019 ceremony, held in Accra on Friday as the sixth edition, also adjudged GTP’s “Adepa Dumas” print as the “Overall Best Quality Textile of the Year”.

Other award categories were Best Made in Ghana Retail Outlet of the Year (Melcom Limited), Best Quality Mosquito Coil of the Year (Old Soldier Jumbo coil), Premium Quality Herbal Mixture (Taabea Herbal Mixture), and Best Quality Packaged Beef Roll (Boss Baker Beef Roll).

The categories also included Most Promising Bitters of the Year (Happy Man Bitters), Best Manufacturing Company of the Year (Mohinani Group, producers of Polytank), Best Quality Mineral Water of the Year (Bel Aqua), and Best Quality Soft Drink of the Year (Coca Cola).

Exceptional awards were given to Reverend Father Andrew Campbell, Chairman of Lepers Aid Ghana as the “Humanitarian Personality of the Year” and Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu as the “Centenary Chief of the Year”.

Dr Adjei said hard work is the hallmark of every successful businessman and advised entrepreneurs to work harder.

He also urged them to use quality materials, machinery and manpower in their works to succeed.

He advised government to invest in the country’s agricultural system as it could generate adequate revenue for the state.

Dr Michael Agyekum Addo, the Chief Executive Officer of Mikaddo Holdings Limited and a Board Member of MIGA, explained that the awards ceremony was a step taken to inspire business leaders.

He urged entrepreneurs to always think of corporate innovation and address issues of quality and packaging of their products per the standards of the Ghana Standards Authority.

The Netherlands, he said, has established a system which ensured that the citizenry obeyed rules and regulations without the police needing to play that watchful role, and urged Ghana to emulate such innovative systems to drive the attitudes of the citizens.

He urged entrepreneurs to create more jobs for the youth to harness their potential, especially in sports and entertainment as they were the future of the nation.

Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, the Minister of Business Development, appealed to entrepreneurs to create internship opportunities for students and give them essential skills to equip themselves.

He commended the award winners for their contribution towards social-economic development and asked the non-award winners to work harder to be acknowledged in future.

Mr Robert Ahomka-Lindsay, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, urged entrepreneurs to make every product serve as an Ambassador by its quality to expand the space of made in Ghana products in the international market.

He advised entrepreneurs to take advantage of the recognition and penetration of Ghanaian products in the international market with quality products, adding that, the opportunity for them to brand their products was very huge.

“As you produce and package your products, have in mind the other 53 African countries and the entire globe,” he said.

He expressed the hope that by next year, many entrepreneurs would have been able to export their products to developed countries.

Mr Christopher Lamoreaux, a representative from the US Embassy, said for Ghana to host the African Continental Free Trade Area was a strategic opportunity to exhibit its valuable products.

To be able to do that, he called on stakeholders in the business environment to ensure that there was transparency and open communication between the private sector players and the public.

The United States, he said, was willing to support Ghana to develop its small and medium-sized enterprises especially with regard to purchasing technological equipment.

“I wish that my people in the US would visit shops and get quality chocolates, textiles and jewellery made in Ghana,” he said.