Ghanaian entrepreneurs have a new fund around. The Mastercard Foundation and Ghana ’s National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) has entered into a GH¢78 million three-year partnership to increase employment opportunities for young people in the Ghana.

“Seventy percent of those targeted will be young women,” Mr Kosi Yankey — Ayeh, Executive Director of NBSSI said.

Here Is All You Need To Know

• According to Mr Kosi Yankey — Ayeh, the partnership, forms part of Young Africa Works in Ghana scheduled to commence in January 2020.
• Over the course of the next 10 years, Young Africa Works would enable three million young people to access dignified and fulfilling work.

“As a Young Africa Works partner, NBSSI will provide growth opportunities for existing young entrepreneurs by facilitating access to finance, markets and business development services,” he said.

• Yankey — Ayeh said the partnership would create access to dignified work for about 39,000 youth and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Ghana. 
• He also noted that the partnership is aligned with the government’s Ghana Beyond Aid agenda and focused on transforming Ghana’s MSMEs into engines of economic growth.

Read also: Uganda and Ghana Place First And Second Globally In Countries With Most Women Entrepreneurs

How Businesses Can Benefit From The New Investments

“The project will leverage existing NBSSI flagship programs such as the Apprenticeship to Entrepreneurship (A2E), Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Hubs, and the Kaizen Programme,” said Yankey — Ayeh.

• Yankey — Ayeh said the programme would be delivered through the 178 Business Advisory Centers/Business Resource Centers across the country and in collaboration with other Young Africa Works partners.”

Why MasterCard Is Choosing NBSSI

Mr Nathalie Akon Gabala, Regional Director, Western, Central and Northern Africa, Mastercard Foundation, said: “NBSSI has the largest footprint of any agency in Ghana through its work with entrepreneurs and women-led businesses”.

Gabala said with its presence in 178 districts across the country, they are uniquely positioned to help advance Young Africa Works’s objectives to ensure young people secure work that is both dignified and fulfilling.

The Mastercard Foundation is an independent governing body whose work is guided by its mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion for people living in poverty.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world