The Ghana Hubs Community has held its 2025 Annual Gathering of Hubs in Accra to deepen collaboration and strengthen innovation throughout Ghana’s entrepreneurship panorama.
The 2-day occasion, themed ‘Resilient Hubs, Thriving Futures: Strengthening Ghana’s Innovation Ecosystem,’ introduced collectively hub leaders, entrepreneurs, improvement companions, and policymakers to debate methods for accelerating digital transformation and inclusive job creation.
Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, Chairperson of the Ghana Hubs Community, highlighted the rising footprint of hubs throughout the nation. He stated over 100 energetic hubs, together with 80 below the Ghana Hubs Community, have educated greater than 12,000 youth and girls, and supported over 6,000 startups and small companies.
In 2024 alone, the community mobilised $4 million in funding from companions together with NEIP, GIZ, the Mastercard Basis, and Ashesi College.
Adu-Gyamfi confused the pressing want for a supportive coverage atmosphere, significantly the swift passage of the Startup and Innovation Invoice. He additionally known as on academia, authorities, and personal sector gamers to take a position extra in youth-driven innovation, particularly past Accra.
One key spotlight of the gathering was the launch of a Gender-Responsive Toolkit developed in collaboration with GIZ and GFA Consulting Group to spice up the inclusion of girls and individuals with disabilities in innovation areas.
NEIP Reaffirms Help for Innovation Hubs
Joan Selasie Ahiawordor, Deputy CEO of the Nationwide Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), reaffirmed the company’s dedication to strengthening innovation hubs as engines for inclusive development.
Talking on behalf of the NEIP CEO, she described the gathering as “a platform the place impression is created, concepts are formed, and partnerships are constructed.”
She outlined NEIP’s focus areas: constructing entrepreneurial capability by way of coaching and mentorship, bettering entry to funding and markets, and reinforcing the broader startup ecosystem by way of strategic alliances.
She cited NEIP’s flagship Adwumawura Programme, geared toward creating no less than 10,000 companies yearly, significantly amongst girls, individuals with disabilities, and underserved communities. Greater than capital, she stated, the programme affords mentorship, coaching, and enterprise improvement assist.
“Hubs are the place many entrepreneurs take their first steps,” she famous. “You’re the first responders in constructing resilience.”
Ahiawordor additionally introduced new partnerships with hubs, together with co-hosted incubator and accelerator programmes, direct technical assist, and inclusive coverage suggestions methods.
GIZ Urges Stronger Collaboration for Coverage Affect
Emmanuel Mumuni, Programme Part Supervisor at GIZ, reaffirmed the company’s long-standing dedication to Ghana’s innovation ecosystem. He lauded the evolution of hubs from marginal gamers to very important components of SME improvement.
“Right this moment, it’s laborious to seek out an SME that hasn’t interfaced with a hub, whether or not by way of coaching, funding, or mentorship,” he stated.
He urged hubs to strengthen their institutional capability and communicate with a unified voice, particularly on essential points resembling cybersecurity, digital inclusion, and the pending Startup and Innovation Invoice.
“As improvement companions, we choose to work with structured, united teams,” he stated. “The Ghana Hubs Community presents an amazing alternative to collaborate on impactful, scalable initiatives.”
Florence Toffa: Africa Should Not Be Left Behind in AI
Director of Cellular Internet Ghana, Florence Toffa, urged African international locations to grow to be energetic members in shaping synthetic intelligence (AI) fairly than remaining passive customers.
Talking on a panel about personal sector participation in innovation, Toffa stated Africa should transfer past simply utilizing AI instruments and begin constructing native options and labs.
“We frequently sit again and observe whereas others lead. However this time, we should create and innovate,” she stated, referencing Ghana’s nationwide AI technique.
Toffa famous that many worldwide companions are keen to assist African innovators entry funding—if native actors are keen to ask.
“One CEO supplied to write down grant proposals for us in French, with out taking a fee,” she revealed. “Typically the most important barrier is just asking for assist.”
GFA Consulting Group Champions Grassroots Innovation
Alhassan Muniru, Digital Innovation and Partnership Supervisor at GFA Consulting Group, stated the agency is partnering with over 15 hubs throughout Ghana to assist early-stage startups.
“The personal sector is the engine of development,” he stated. “If we would like actual impression, we should work with grassroots actors—hubs and younger innovators.”
Muniru stated GFA facilitates entry to funding and builds inner capability for smaller organisations that lack sources.
“This strategy strengthens sustainability and creates a multiplier impact throughout the ecosystem,” he added.
Non-public Sector Involvement is a Recreation-Changer – MEST Africa
Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio and Applications Advisor at MEST Africa, stated significant personal sector engagement—not simply funding—is vital to ecosystem development.
He praised firms like MTN for going past sponsorships and collaborating instantly in hackathons and innovation occasions.
“That type of strategic involvement remodeled how MTN was considered within the ecosystem,” he stated.
He additionally cited MedPharma, a startup backed by ecosystem assist programmes, which is now making ready to launch an reasonably priced medical health insurance product by way of MTN Cellular Cash.
Ravichandran emphasised the ability of collaboration: “The true breakthroughs occur when the personal sector, improvement companions, and innovation hubs align efforts towards frequent objectives.”
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Feedback, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform don’t essentially symbolize the views or coverage of Multimedia Group Restricted.
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