By: Sheila WILLIAMS
Former Ghana President, John Agyekum Kufour has challenged the youth of Ghana to build a new generation of Africa with confidence, by discovering their talents and appropriately using them for the benefit of their societies.
Let’s “celebrate the partnership between industries and the government to build Ghana beyond aid,” he said.
The former President was speaking at a cocktail event of the ‘Life in a Portrait Awards 2016- 2017’ which was organized last week in Accra by the Initiators of Change Foundation.
The occasion was used to highlight and promote the talent in Ghanaian entrepreneurs and honour the hardwork of the entrepreneurs. As well, the event was used to launch the “Lifetime in a Portrait awards magazine
Ex-president Kufour said the country is endowed with a lot of talent, which must be harnessed for development.
Ghana is an economy that still exports raw materials without much diversification, without value addition and is heavily imports dependent – bringing in items ranging from machinery to medicines and some basic agricultural commodities like cereals and proteins that can easily be produced locally with the right mix of entrepreneurship and policy.
Chairing the event, Nana Dr. Appiagye Dankawoso I, President of Pan-African Chamber of Commerce, said Initiators of Change Foundation promotes healthy environment between industry players and government in building a resilient Ghana.
In an interview, Prof Melinda Greenstreet, a Patron of the Initiators of Change Foundation, said Ghana as a nation is endowed with rich resources, particularly human resources.
She said the country has the responsibility to discover and use those resources for the development of the nation.
Prof Greenstreet said, among the objectives, the Initiators of Change Foundation is to discover, develop and promote the talents of young people for national development and social cohesion.
She said the nation’s resolve to the promotion of democratic governance with all its strengths and weaknesses continued to hold the nation together as a peaceful country.
Mr. Edward Asadu the CEO of Asadu Royal Waste, a farmer and an Awardee, indicated that the future is bright if entrepreneurs are motivated and honoured for their great contribution to the economy of the country.
Such awards would motivate them to go the extra mile in their various fields of operation.
