By Prince Nornorme
Ve-Agbome (V/R), Sept. 26, GNA – The Nneka Youth Foundation, in collaboration with the Afadzato South District Assembly, has organised a Financial Inclusion, Business and Investment Forum for artisans in the Afadzato South District of the Volta Region.
The forum, dubbed “The Nneka Afadzato South Financial Inclusion, Business and Investment Forum for All Artisans,” was on the theme: “Your hands create the value; now let’s build the business behind it.”
The event, held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the Nneka Youth Development Centre at Ve-Agbome, brought together artisans from various trade associations across the district.
The forum, which started at 0900 hours and ended at 1400 hours, was attended by dignitaries from the District Assembly, financial institutions, traditional authorities and youth groups.
It focused on access to finance, business development, investment opportunities, skills development and financial literacy for artisans in the informal sector.
The forum was organised in partnership with Suncity Farms Limited, GCB Bank PLC, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service.
Speaking at the programme, Mr Manfred Tawiah, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Afadzato South, commended the Nneka Youth Foundation for the initiative, saying it would enhance craft work and youth employability.
Mr Tawiah said the Assembly recognised the role of artisans in local economic development and was committed to creating an enabling environment for their businesses to thrive.
He urged participants to take advantage of digital platforms and the free Wi-Fi available to market their products to other parts of the country, rather than using the internet only for social media entertainment.
“The internet is a business tool. You can sell your Kente, your furniture, your fashion designs to people in Accra and beyond using your phones. Don’t use it only to watch TikTok videos,” he advised.
The DCE disclosed that the Assembly was working steadily to accelerate development projects in the district, assuring that 20 projects would be commissioned by the end of September, with 50 more to be commissioned by December 2026.
He also encouraged apprentices and artisans to venture into agriculture as an additional source of income and to ensure food security and sustainable livelihoods.
Madam Cecilia Fiaka, Founder and Executive Director of the Nneka Youth Foundation, urged participants to value their skills, saying artisans were essential to community development.
She appealed to corporate organisations, financial institutions and other stakeholders to support such initiatives, saying they created room for dialogue and problem-solving for youth in the informal sector.
A representative of the Member of Parliament for Afadzato South, Mr Kelvin Kokroko, urged artisans to take their work seriously and adopt professional attitudes to attract more clients and investments.
Mr Christian Agorda, Volta Regional Director of the Ghana TVET Service, commended the Nneka Youth Foundation for organising the forum to empower artisans.
He said the Government had put in place measures to ensure that apprenticeship training did not exceed three years and urged parents to provide the necessary tools and support for their wards.
Mr Agorda also advised artisans to be disciplined and sacrifice their time during training, stressing that they would be the ultimate beneficiaries of the skills acquired.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the programme, Madam Fiaka said she was impressed with the large turnout of participants, which demonstrated the need for such engagements.
She said the Foundation would continue to create platforms to link artisans to finance, markets and mentorship to grow their businesses.
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah/Audrey Dekalu