By Nii Martey M. Botchway
Akropong (E/R), Nov. 13, GNA – The Nana Kwesi Osew Foundation (NKOF), has advocated for early entrepreneurship development among young people, particularly at the second-cycle level.
This, the foundation said, would help address the growing youth unemployment in the country.
Speaking at a three-day ‘Studentpreneur Camp’ for some second cycle students in Akropong, Dr. George Gyamfi-Osew, Founder of the NKOF, said nurturing the entrepreneurial abilities of students from an early stage would enable them to develop the confidence and skills required to establish their own enterprises in future.
The event which was organized by the NKOF in partnership with the African American Entrepreneur Association, Bidoism LLC, and Rotary International Rome among other things, sought to build the skills of participants and instill the value of mentorship and giving back.
In his address, Dr. Gyamfi-Osew said many young people possessed innovative ideas but often lacked guidance on how to articulate, develop, and sustain them, a gap he said, the Foundation sought to fill through its practical training programmes.
“If we do not nurture them now, they may lose hope. We are here to help them develop and bring out what is already in them so that they can grow their ideas into full-blown businesses,” he said.
He said the Foundation’s decision to focus on second-cycle institutions was in line with the principle of developing talent early.
Underscoring the need for hands-on learning, he cited a previous training session where technical students who had never seen a distribution board were able to assemble one after three days of practical instruction.
“Just as football academies identify and groom players at a young age, we believe entrepreneur academies can also begin at the secondary level,” he said.
Dr. Gyamfi-Osew who revealed that participants would also receive materials and an entrepreneurship handbook to guide their business development journey, said the Foundation had partnered several international facilitators who would support the programme, including professionals from the United States, Italy and Ghana.
He encouraged beneficiaries to remain focused and committed to their aspirations, adding that discipline and confidence were key to long-term success.
Dr Jacqueleen Bido, a US based leadership coach and Founder of Bidoism LLC, said young people must be encouraged to support one another, ask for help when needed, and build networks that would sustain their personal and career growth.
She said her partnership with the Foundation began through a professional connection on LinkedIn,
Emphasising the need for nurturing the youth with entrepreneurial skills, she committed to supporting the students for a full year through mentorship and virtual engagement.
She said she would also work closely with the fashion design departments of the selected schools and connect beneficiaries with experts and institutions that could further support their development.
“Helping others does not always require money. It can be as simple as offering guidance or connecting someone to a useful resource,” she said.
GNA
20 Nov. 2025
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong