Ghana hosted for the first time the Innovation for (IAU) Sub-Saharan showcase event.
The event held at the Accra International Conference Centre in Accra, witnessed IAU pilot countries including Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya present the initial outcomes of the programme.
The IAU programme created by the British Council in 2021 seeks to support young people seeking to develop job creation entities and sustainable enterprises.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Solomon Domayen Antumwini, Director of Programmes and Partnerships at the British Council, stated that closing the gap between job seekers and job creators was important for the African youth.
“The goal of the IAU programme is to strengthen the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem and improve student employability outcomes in sub-Saharan African universities through the promotion and capacitation of mutually beneficial partnerships.
“By pairing universities in Africa and the UK, the IAU sought to catalyse the development of an entrepreneurial curriculum tailored to each country’s unique situation and economic needs.
“Beyond providing a platform for learning, research, and knowledge creation, universities have a role to play as catalysts for change and drivers of economic growth in the various communities, he said.
Dr. Abu Sakara Foster, a renowned Ghanaian agronomist and politician who was the guest speaker at the showcase event, said the growing population of African youth makes it imperative to teach young people the need to adopt various entrepreneurship skills.
This, he said, would make them competitive in a world where white-collar jobs have become scarce.
Dr Sakara also urged universities to impart on students various entrepreneurial skills to enable them to create jobs and also give them the tools to align with the current job market situation in Ghana.
