By Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Accra, July 3, GNA- Mr. Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff, says the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (GNCCI) Junior Chambers initiative reflects President John Mahama’s vision for entrepreneurs.
He noted that the President’s long-held ambition was to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among the youth, moving away from job seeking to one of job creation.
The Chief of Staff said this at the launch of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (GNCCI) Junior Chambers initiative in collaboration with the University of Ghana in Accra.
The establishment of the Junior Chamber is a strategic step towards nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset among students, empowering them to become job creators and active participants in Ghana’s economic transformation.
The programme will expose students to successful entrepreneurs, both local and international, through visitation programmes and industry talks.
Students will also have opportunities to visit various industries to gain practical insights into business operations.
The Chief of Staff underscored the urgency of the Junior Chambers, citing recent statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service which reveal that about 57 per cent of Ghana’s population was under 25 years, yet youth unemployment remained a pressing concern.
“This 2023 labour market report indicated 1.4 million unemployed youth, with 22.3 per cent being tertiary graduates. What this tells us is that education alone is not enough,” he said.
He made an urgent call to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical business experience.
Mr Debrah implored the students, urging them to leverage the platform to learn, grow, connect and, most importantly, achieve their dreams.
Mr. Stéphane Miezan, President of the GNCCI, stressed the growing mismatch between academic preparation and practical business readiness.
He said while Ghana’s tertiary institutions produce competent graduates, the absence of structured mentorship, entrepreneurial training, and access to funding had left many young people vulnerable to joblessness.
Mr. Miezan reaffirmed GNCCI’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, stressing that the Junior Chamber was the Chamber’s commitment to building bridges between theory and practice.
He noted that the Junior Chamber would be a platform that nurtured entrepreneurial mindsets through the creation of mentorship platforms from industry captains and equipped students with skills to create jobs.
Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice- Chancellor of the University of Ghana, commended the GNCCI for such a bold initiative, stressing that the University would collaborate with the Chamber to ensure that the students developed an entrepreneurial mindset.
She said although the University had other entrepreneurial programmes, the Junior Chamber would further enhance the entrepreneurial initiatives of the students.
GNA
Edited by Christian Akorlie