By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, June 3, GNA – Africa Skills Hub (ASH), a Ghana-based enterprise support organisation focused on youth, women, and SME development, has transitioned to ASH Africa, marking a significant milestone in its 10-year journey of expanding opportunity pathways across the continent.
The transition to ASH Africa reflects the organisation’s growing continental outlook and aligns with its newly launched 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, which outlines a vision to support more than 500,000 youth, women, and SMEs annually by 2030.
A statement issued in Accra said the rebrand reflected the organisation’s evolution from a skills development entity into a broader pan-African organisation driven by the mission: “Transforming Lives. Building Communities. Building Africa.”
It said founded in 2016 as the Africa Internship Academy (AIA), the organisation initially focused on improving youth employability and access to internship opportunities in Ghana.
However, in 2020, the organisation transitioned into Africa Skills Hub (ASH), expanding its work across enterprise development, financial inclusion, SME support, digital skills, and market systems strengthening.
The statement said over the years, the organisation had extended its reach across all 16 regions of Ghana while implementing programmes and partnerships in multiple African countries.
Mr. Daniel Amoako Antwi, Executive Director, speaking on the transition, said “For 10 years, we have focused on building the connective systems that link skills, capital, enterprise, and market opportunities across Africa.”
He said they have evolved from delivering standalone training programmes to building interconnected systems that link people to opportunity.
“The transition to ASH Africa reflects both the scale of the work we are already doing and the future we are committed to building,” he said.
The Executive Director said the goal of reaching 500,000 youth, women, and SMEs annually by 2030 was rooted in a decade of learning about what it takes to shift systems, not just programmes across Africa’s economies.
He said the rebrand does not represent a change in mission, but rather an expansion of scope, engagement, and strategic positioning.
“ASH Africa will continue to focus on creating sustainable economic opportunities for youth, women, and SMEs by connecting them to skills development, enterprise support, finance, and market access,” he added.
Mr Antwi said through its systems-driven model, the organisation aimed to address what it described as a systems challenge- the disconnect between skills acquisition, access to capital, enterprise growth, and market participation.
He said the new identity also reflected the organisation’s commitment to inclusive growth through partnerships, innovation, research-driven programming, and ecosystem development.
He said its strategic priorities include skills development, SME growth, market access, digital inclusion, and data-driven advocacy.
The Executive Director said 40,192 youth had been trained in employability, digital, and enterprise skills, 30,519 women supported through targeted training and enterprise development programmes.
He said 15,753 youth transitioned into employment, while 10,939 new jobs were created across supported enterprises.
In the area of enterprise growth and financial inclusion; 9,238 MSMEs were supported to adopt sustainable business practices, while GHS 10,789,800 was provided in micro-loans disbursed to improve access to finance and business growth.
He said as part of its anniversary and rebranding activities, ASH Africa would roll out a series of engagements highlighting its decade-long journey, institutional evolution, impact stories, and future vision for Africa.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei