Empower local inventors to build economy - WEA Business Coalition

The National Coordinator of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Business Coalition in Ghana, Raphael Godlove Ahenu has called on Government, Civil Society and other faith-based organisations to adopt means of identifying and improving on the skills, knowledge and resource capacities of local inventors, artisans and other young entrepreneurs.

This he indicated would extensively stimulate the speedy growth of Ghana’s local economy, enhance the establishment of more Ghanaian businesses, inspire confidence in local entrepreneurs and reduce the high rate of unemployment among the youth.

Mr. Ahenu made the call at a media encounter dubbed: ‘WEA Business Coalition Breakfast with the Media’ held in Accra to interact with the media on issues confronting the business sector in Ghana.

Ghana is indeed brimming with a rising new generation of bold, creative-thinking innovators and entrepreneurs who are constantly inventing and developing new technologies that will simplify the lives of the people and transform societies-technologies with global appeal and commercial viability.

He quoted from Kent Mensah, the son of Ghanaian talented but ignored inventor, Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo “the whites believed in themselves and got to where they are now. They are no different from us. We all stayed in our mothers' womb for nine months”

He expressed worries about how most local inventors had been neglected over the years, and entrepreneurship programmes designed for young people in Ghana to become entrepreneurs also only focused more on paper certification instead of development of attitudes and skills.

The National Coordinator of WEA Business Coalition observed that Ghana holds the potential to become one of the leading economic and industrial hubs in Africa if special attention would be given to the educational, skills and economic empowerment of the young people who constitute more than half of the country’s population.

“Ghana is blessed with a lot of resources and one of such resources is our young human resource who are full of energy, skills, enthusiasm, and ready to showcase their talents. But the way out is for Ghana to promote Youth Enterprise Development through entrepreneurship”.

Mr. Ahenu cited the boy wonder, Samuel Naamgwinaa, who is a first-year student of the Don Bosco Technical Institute at Odumase near Sunyani in the Bono Region, who has used empty paper boxes and other materials to design a remote-controlled dummy vehicle, an electronic wardrobe, water heater, a simple solar system for powering cell phones and lighting bulbs, as well as a computer game console among others, as typical example of young Ghanaians who needs to be identified and supported to contribute to the development of Ghana.

Even though the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has promised Government’s readiness to support the 18 year old inventor, Mr. Ahenu encouraged the Government and its partners to look beyond just Samuel Naamgwinaa and identify other equally talented young people and support them to come up.

He also cited another classic inventor, Charles Ofori Antipem, 25, who has also invented Science Kit (a small black box containing all essential tools needed for science practicals) including electronic components, iron filings for electromagnetism, the light box, the mirrors and then in the middle, the batteries that power it all.

Three engineering students from the All Nations University College (ANUC) in Koforidua also designed, built and launched Ghana’s first Space Satellite into orbit. The devise has low and high resolution camera on board capable of taking pictures of Ghana and providing data on happenings on Ghana’s coastal areas and the environment to the outside world.

The National Coordinator of WEA Business Coalition congratulated young Samuel, Charles and others, and encouraged them to exploit further for more inventions that would bring Ghana to the limelight.

He also encouraged the Government and other financial institutions to support such talents, micro, small and medium scale businesses, create access to innovative financing models that will enable them to establish properly and expand their businesses.

Mr. Ahenu challenged Ghanaians to value and patronise local products in order to inspire the local inventors, artisans and businesses to do more to support Ghana’s economy.