Three hundred young entrepreneurs in the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector are being supported under the Sinapi Aba Mentorship Programme to scale up their businesses into sustainable and profitable ventures.

The initiative pairs emerging entrepreneurs with experienced business owners to provide practical guidance, experience sharing and strategies for addressing real-world business challenges.

The beneficiaries, drawn from various sectors including trading, manufacturing and agriculture, are expected to improve financial stability, strengthen operations and ultimately create employment opportunities.

Organised by Sinapi Aba Trust with support from OID and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the programme brought together participants from its 7th edition at a regional conference in Kumasi.

According to programme officials, the mentorship model is designed to reduce business failure among young entrepreneurs who often operate without structured guidance.

Program Manager at Sinapi Aba, Phyllis Desbordes, explained that participants are strategically paired with experienced business owners to ensure direct impact and practical learning.

“They are paired with established ones for experience sharing, so they can bond and tackle challenges of the mentee together. The overall goal is for them to create employment: they grow their business, sustain it and are given the capacity to be able to employ others in their communities,” she said.

The programme has, over its seven-year run, recorded successes including subcontracting opportunities between mentors and mentees, business expansion, and the introduction of new product lines.

Mentor Deborah Tawia Wilson stressed the importance of strong foundational business practices such as communication and financial discipline.

“As a mentor, I realise communication and income saving gaps. So, it became a focus to sensitise them on the essence of these business ethics and strategies,” she said.

Another mentor, Esther Abongo, noted that lessons from the programme continue to have a ripple effect across successive cohorts.

She explained that her experience as a former mentee now informs her approach in guiding new entrepreneurs to improve efficiency and profitability.

Participants also engaged in networking and business collaboration sessions aimed at strengthening industry linkages and expanding market opportunities.

The Sinapi Aba Mentorship Programme continues to position itself as a key intervention supporting MSME development, job creation and entrepreneurial sustainability across the country.