Executive Director for Recycle Up! Ghana, Abdulrahim Shaibu-Issah has observed local start-ups lack solution-driven products and services to accelerate their growth on the market.
According to him, entrepreneurs may have all resources, but their inability to meet the needs of individuals pushes them out of business.
He was speaking at the launch of Recycle Up! Ghana Incubator 2.0.
“Potential customers will hesitate in buying products which does not meet their needs. This pushes them out of business. Some may not record any revenue at all,” he said.
The Recycle Up! Ghana trains entrepreneurs to develop local solutions to poor waste management.
The non-governmental organization targets young entrepreneurs to empower and educate them.
Participants undergo a six-month incubation period to fully develop their business ideas.
The ideas are pitched to win cash prizes.
Products and services of the entrepreneurs are tested before they are brought to the market.
According to Abdulrahim Shaibu-Issah, six businesses have been incubated in the past year.
“For our last cohort, we have incubated six green businesses. We have a business called ‘Premier Waste’ which is into recycling plastic waste and bottles. They process them as well.
“Another start-up business making charcoal briquettes from coconut waste is ‘Green Fuel Innovation’. Making bags and other fashion items from plastic waste materials is ‘Crystal Green,” he said.
WAS-TEC is one of the businesses enrolled on the program.
The firm converts non-functioning refrigerators into chicken incubators for poultry farming.
Chief Executive Officer, Michael Awanah, explained that, “We convert electronic waste into the production of incubators for poultry farmers in the Northern Region. We were clueless on how to go about our business previously. Recycle Up Ghana helped us shape our thoughts, processes and ideas about our business.
I am grateful to be part of Recycle Up Ghana. We have had series of training elsewhere, but we gained broader knowledge with Recycle Up Ghana,” he said.
The initiative is supported by Afrilabs, Digital Africa, AFD and Brot fur die Weit.