Mary Anane Awuku speaking at her book launch
The Executive Chairman of the KGL Group, Alex Apau Dadey, has admonished budding entrepreneurs not to do away with apprenticeships.
He believes that to up-to-date one’s self with the rudiments of entrepreneurship, there will be a need to learn under the feet of people and make all the needed mistakes before one decides to start a business.
Mr. Alex Apau Dadey observed that most young people from school, without any prior experience, walk into entrepreneurship without knowing the game’s ropes.
"These young people mostly fail not because they are not hard-working but because they fail to take nuggets and build experience."
“I’ve been to the United Kingdom and other countries to learn a lot. It’s not only about starting your own business and being your own boss; there is also an apprenticeship where you go through and learn some skills and gain some experience before you decide to branch out on your own. By the time you’re ready to branch out on your own, you are very, very solid,” he said.
Alex Apau Dadey was speaking at the launch of Entrepreneurial Success, a book written by Mary Anane Awuku that details the experiences of Ghanaian entrepreneurs, their challenges and successes, and recommends solutions to problems facing entrepreneurs.
He used the opportunity to encourage entrepreneurship among young people, noting that it helps create wealth.
On June 8, 2024, at the African Regent Hotel, Entrepreneurial Success was launched by Mary Anane Awuku, wife of the Director-General for the National Lottery Authority, Sammi Awauku.
The event was attended by some of Ghana’s finest entrepreneurs, whose businesses have contributed immensely to the development of Ghana.
The book was reviewed by academics who provided insight and a deeper understanding of the various concepts propounded by the book.
Mary Anane Awuku indicated that the book details the experiences of over 30 entrepreneurs whose journeys serve as an inspiration to many.
She said the book provides a clear understanding of the entrepreneurial journey and the challenges and opportunities therein.
Additionally, the book offers an authentic and localized understanding of the competencies that support the achievement of SME owners in Ghana.
She noted that the majority of economies worldwide depend heavily on entrepreneurs, indicating that the companies that they set up are what feed the economy.
“There is a high contribution of business startups to the nation’s economy. It is entrepreneurship. It is entrepreneurs who feed the government. So let’s use this to support and educate people so well that they will be able to excel in entrepreneurship and create jobs for people. The government alone cannot do it all. We need the private sector to support job creation as well,” she said.
On her part, Minister of State in Charge of Finance Abena Osei Asare has announced that the government will depend heavily on SMEs to help the economy of Ghana bounce back.
She said the government will launch the programme in July, which will expand some existing SMEs into bigger enterprises.
“The government is making sure that to bounce the economy back on track, it’s going to focus on SMEs. Next month, in July, Ghana is going to launch the SME Opportunities and Growth Fund, where we are going to assist SMEs to stand on their feet and also select some SMEs and turn them into enterprises that can create jobs and grow the economy," she said.
