The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong says building partnerships among enterprises is the sure way to promote government’s vision of building a Ghana beyond.
He said when enterprises collaborate, they become sustainable and this enables them to contribute to economic growth in the country.
“We believe collaboration is one of the sure ways of supporting the president’s dream of moving Ghana beyond aid through enterprise development. It is my hope that we can build more partnerships and collaborations among ourselves in other to build sustainable enterprises that support our economic growth and development.”
Professor Nyarko Boampong said this at the official launch of the 9th Conference on Universities, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa held by the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprise Development at university of Cape Coast.
Touching on the significance of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to the Ghanaian economy, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency, Mrs. Kosi Yankey-Ayeh indicated that, it is necessary to strengthen these enterprises because they form a major part of the Ghanaian economy. This, she said can be done successfully through a collaborative effort among all who have a stake in entrepreneurship.
“In Ghana and like most other economies, 90% of the economy is micro, small and Medium Enterprises; these enterprises are entrepreneurs and more and more we need to strengthen more SMS so that they can strengthen the economy”
She explained that agencies such as the Ghana Enterprises Agency and the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation program cannot work in isolation but rather “partner with university’s enterprises to build on what they have done and to transform what they have done in academia into practical solutions”
The President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Clement Osei-Amoako on his part, pledged his outfit’s support towards UCC’s entrepreneurial agenda.
To this end, he said the Chamber will sign an MoU with the university to work hand in hand with them to build the capacity of entrepreneurship for a better Ghana.
The 9th Conference on Universities, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa was held in collaboration with the Bonn Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences in Germany on the theme: “Universities, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa”.
Source: Rosemond Asmah/ATLFMNEWS
