Ghanaian youth urged to develop innovative ideas

Ghanaian youth have been challenged to take their destinies into their own hands by coming out with innovative ideas to establish their own businesses for financial emancipation.

The move has become necessary in view of the large numbers of unemployed graduates parading the streets and offices on daily basis for non-existent jobs.

It is estimated that about 300, 000 graduates come out from the country’s tertiary institutions every year into the job market, with government institutions and the private sector absorbing less than 10 per cent of them.

Dr Kofi Osei Kusi, the Executive President of the Osei Kusi Foundation, in an interview with the media at the maiden Financial Liberation and Entrepreneurship Seminar in Accra, advised the youth to start their own small businesses, noting that, with time it would grow for them to reap the desired benefits.

The event was organised by the Osei Kusi Foundation for students of the GH Media School, which afforded the participants the opportunity to interact with people who have achieved something in their respective professions and to learn various entrepreneurial opportunities.

Mr Osei Kusi said the Foundation was obliged to expose the students to local and international speakers who had vast experiences in wealth creation so that they could learn valuable life lessons and take inspiration from them.

‘‘What people lack is not the energy or desire to create wealth or jobs for themselves, instead the know-how because funding for entrepreneurship is not the biggest problem but the vision.

‘‘Therefore one supposed to have a clear vision to solve a particular need, and so if you have passionate desire to solve a problem, and with a clear strategy and plan, you can have access to so many sources of funding to start a business,’’ Mr Osei Kusi said.

Madam Belomina Amponsah-Bronni, the Deputy Rector of GH Media School, on his part, said the event would equip students with the relevant knowledge to start their own businesses after graduation and manage their finances meaningfully.

She urged the youth to use the social media platforms positively to help them to grow their businesses.

The seminar attracted resource persons from Ghana, Germany, United Kingdom and the Netherlands, who took turns to sensitise the students on existing entrepreneurship opportunities that could help them to free themselves from the shackles of poverty.

They provided vivid accounts of their personal experiences and how they pulled the chest nuts out of the blazing fire to make a headway in life.

They urged the participants to be creative and confident in ventures they intend to pursue in future.

They said youth unemployment was a global phenomenon, noting that government alone could not absorb the high number of graduates that come out of school every year.

For instance, Mr Juergen Pallien, a German-based Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, outlined three key steps to financial freedom namely; generating income that is greater than one’s expenses, investing in assets that could generate more income and creating income from one’s investments.

Mr Wilson Agyeman, the Chief Executive Officer of DIF from Ghana, said the test of life was dangerous and one needed to pass it to make headway in life, saying; ‘‘it is better to fail in exams than to fail the test of life’’.

He noted that anyone that failed the test of life would be miserable and, thus, admonished participants to take a bold step in life to ensure their financial-independence.

Ms Linda Boateng, a Career Coach from the UK, observed that every successful person had failed once in life before and urged the participants not to give up in life, but strive hard to succeed.

Ms De Hann, an Entrepreneur from the Netherlands, said she started her own job at the age of 17, and had designed internationally-recognised brand of bags that were doing well, saying; ‘‘the difficult decision you take today will determine your future’’.