Chief Executive Officer of Benguy Imports, Aisha Bengai, has challenged young women to redirect money spent on expensive wigs, dresses and other items towards building businesses and creating sustainable wealth.

She said women could make better use of limited resources by starting small businesses and reinvesting their profits rather than spending heavily on their appearance.

Speaking at the National Ladies Conference 2026, organised by Assemblies of God Young Singles at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ms Bengai urged the participants to prioritise financial independence and entrepreneurship.

“When the time comes, you can buy them in bulk. Use the small money you have now to start something,” she said during her keynote address.

Harnessing social media for business

Ms Bengai also taught the women practical ways to use social media to promote their businesses and reach potential customers at little or no cost.

She encouraged them to leverage platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and WhatsApp Status to showcase their products, engage customers, build communities and convert followers into buyers.

She said aspiring entrepreneurs did not necessarily need large amounts of capital to start a business, urging them to redirect some of the money they already spend on personal grooming into income-generating activities.

“Redirect what you're already spending on appearance. That GH¢500 monthly on hair? That's your business capital. Start with that and build from there,” she said.

She also shared strategies for sourcing products without making full upfront payments, enabling aspiring entrepreneurs to begin trading with limited capital.

One Million Cedis Challenge

Ms Bengai further introduced participants to her One Million Challenge, a business initiative aimed at helping entrepreneurs work towards making their first GH¢1 million.

Although the programme is normally offered at a fee, she announced that participants at the conference would have the opportunity to join it at no cost.

“This is for those who are hungry to make their first one million cedis. If you are lazy, don't join,” she cautioned.

The selected participants will be grouped, trained and supported under her guidance as they work towards the GH¢1 million milestone.

Ms Bengai said the journey would require smart sourcing, proper pricing, consistent reinvestment of profits and strategic scaling of businesses.

Other speakers

The National Ladies Conference 2026 also featured several speakers and personalities who shared insights on personal development, entrepreneurship and leadership.

Media personality Ms Nancy spoke on etiquette and personal presentation, while musician and minister Piesie Esther, Chief Executive Officer of Pizza Man Christian Boakye Yiadom, Chief Executive Officer of Cirrus Oil Services Ltd Mrs Ivy Apea Owusu, and Director at the National Insurance Commission Dr Abiba Zakariah were also present.

Supporting a young entrepreneur

During the conference, Ms Bengai also highlighted the business of a young woman who operates a small wig business.

She encouraged members of the congregation to support the entrepreneur by patronising her products and further pledged to personally support the business through purchases.

About Aisha Bengai

Ms Bengai is the Chief Executive Officer of Benguy Imports and an entrepreneur and business mentor.

She started her first business at the age of 16 in Belgium before relocating to Ghana, where she encountered a reported $660,000 setback and subsequently rebuilt her business.

She now trains entrepreneurs in importation and business development and is said to have trained more than 30,000 entrepreneurs.