By Jibril Abdul Mumuni, GNA
Accra, Sept. 18, GNA – Scripture Union Ghana has reiterated its commitment to raising a new generation of ethical entrepreneurs through its Young Entrepreneurs Programme (YEP), which combines practical business training with biblical values.
The programme seeks to inspire young people to become entrepreneurs, pursue innovative business ideas and contribute to economic growth while making a positive impact on their families and communities.
The business training was held at the Presbyterian Worship Centre at Abokobi in the Ga East Municipality of Accra.
The third cohort of the Young Entrepreneurs Programme brought together participants from African countries, including the Scripture Unions of Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Liberia and Tanzania.
Resource persons were drawn from Kenya, South Africa and Ghana.
The business training was grounded in biblical principles and designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to realise their career and life goals.
Ms Nancy Kahodia, Project Management Trainer at Scripture Union International, said the initiative was born out of efforts to tackle the growing unemployment challenge facing young people in Africa.
She explained that it was first initiated in Burundi after concerns over the large number of unemployed youths with untapped potential and was later supported by Scripture Union International through the development of a biblical resource on work and enterprise.
The programme had, over the years, empowered many young people to start businesses, improve their livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
“It has been amazing to see the impact the programme is having on young people, young people starting businesses, improving their livelihoods, supporting their families and communities,” she said.
Ms Kahodia emphasised the importance of ethical business practices, noting that many young entrepreneurs operated in environments where corruption and unethical behaviour were prevalent.
She said Christian entrepreneurs must demonstrate integrity and allow biblical principles to influence their decisions, urging young people to lead by example.
Despite the challenges, the youth must choose what is right and embrace ethical business practices even when doing so appeared difficult, she added.
The programme provides training on the biblical basis of work and entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial and leadership skills, communication, teamwork, digital competencies, market research, problem-solving and the effective use of local resources.
Mr Jacob Adongo Atule, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Finance and Administration, National Youth Authority (NYA), commended Scripture Union Ghana for creating a platform that equips young people not only with entrepreneurial skills but also with the mindset needed to become productive and responsible contributors to national development.
He said entrepreneurship was not merely about starting businesses but about identifying problems, creating solutions and building sustainable ventures that created value for society.
Mr Atule encouraged young people not to be afraid of starting small, noting that successful entrepreneurs often learned through experience, discipline and persistence.
He urged participants to cultivate integrity, diligence, innovation, resilience and financial responsibility as they pursued their aspirations.
Entrepreneurs, he noted, must also focus on building businesses that solved real societal problems and created employment opportunities for others, stressing that profit should go hand in hand with purpose.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe