News

WEA Business Coalition urges Youth Enterprise Dev’t to improve Ghana’s economy

• By EDMOND GYEBI
• February 19, 2019
• 28

The National Coordinator of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Business Coalition in Ghana, Raphael Godlove Ahenu has observed that despite the significant progress that has been made in recent years with regard to poverty reduction, Ghana’s socio-economic development continues to face challenges. 

He pointed out the insufficient social security and the unequal distribution of economic opportunities, income and wealth especially for the youth population. 

According to him, unemployment is not the only issue confronting the youth of today but also low incomes for those in private enterprises.

The low incomes, he said, stems from a number of factors including lack of business skills on the part of the operators of micro, small and medium scale industries, limited access to innovative financing models that will enable them to establish properly and expand their businesses.
  
Mr Ahenu said this in an encounter with the media dubbed: ‘WEA Business Coalition Breakfast with the Media’ held in Accra, an initiative by the WEA Business Coalition Ghana to interact periodically with the media on issues confronting the business sector in Ghana.

The National Coordinator said in an attempts to escape the effects of unemployment and its associated effects, the youth have resorted to several life-threatening alternatives to earn a living. 

Some of them, he pointed out, have resorted to illegal mining, cyber fraud, prostitution, armed robbery and illegal migration among others. 

Mr Ahenu who is also the Founder/CEO of Global Media Foundation, noted that, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, youth employment has been recognized as one of the major challenges in many nations which Ghana is not an exception. 

He was with the view that, in the wake of increasing unemployment rate in Ghana especially amongst the youth, it has become obvious that Government cannot absorb all skilled persons into formal employment. 

According to him, the way out therefore is to promote Youth Enterprise Development through entrepreneurship, adding that access to entrepreneurship education and training is a key factor to youth enterprise development in Ghana.

 
Entrepreneurship education involves the use of structured learning environments and support tools and systems to help individuals develop entrepreneurial skills and become entrepreneurs. Any entrepreneurship programme that aims at developing the youth to become entrepreneurs in Ghana must of a necessity focus more on the development of attitudes and skills than paper certification.  


The National Coordinator disclosed that WEA Business Coalition in Ghana seeks to strengthen local churches through national alliances, supporting and coordinating grassroots leadership and seeking practical ways of showing the unity of the body of Christ by bringing Christian businesses together. 

He revealed that his outfit will by the end of the year organise first Christian Business Conference to bringing together Christian businesses and investors to one platform.

 WEA is a global network of churches in 129 nations that have each formed an evangelical alliance and over 100 international organizations joining together to give a world-wide identity, voice, and platform to more than 600 million evangelical Christians. 

Formed in 1846 in London, WEA seeks to strengthen local churches through national alliances, supporting and coordinating grassroots leadership and seeking practical ways of showing the unity of the body of Christ.

Source: WatchGhana.Com