The UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC), a member-based trade association that promotes trade between the UK and Ghana, has concluded its Grand Challenge Programme workshops in Kumasi, where policymakers were urged to introduce urgent reforms to support innovation and entrepreneurship in Ghana.

The event was held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), with the aim to develop and propose technological, social, or financial solutions to address key challenges in Ghana’s agriculture and energy sectors.

The workshop brought together innovators and key figures from the agriculture and energy sectors to discuss strategies for creating a more conducive business environment. The industry experts included Mawuli Kobla Amedofu, Supply Chain Lead at DEXT Technologies; Prof. Joseph Oppong Akowuah from the Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering; Dr. Gifty Boakye Appiah from KNUST’s Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, and Extension; Franklin Eshun from Ghana TVET Service; and Dr. Makafui John Bedzra, Innovation Manager, KNUST College of Engineering.

The workshop also featured a live pitch session where over 15 participants received constructive feedback on their ideas, and masterclasses on Intellectual Property, Investor Readiness, and Commercialisation facilitated by Nuna Attipoe - Korqanteng & Koranteng; Kingsley Agyekum - Fidelity Bank; and Mawuli Ocloo of SalesRev, respectively . 

Urgency in Pursuing Innovation

The session, themed “Policy as an Enabler for Creating an Innovation-Friendly Environment,” focused on addressing barriers to entrepreneurship and promoting systemic changes to encourage business growth. 

Franklin Eshun of Ghana TVET Service observed that young people in Ghana often lack urgency in pursuing innovation, largely due to a relatively comfortable environment where basic needs are met. 

“If you find yourself in a situation where you are close to extinction, you are close to being taken off the surface of the earth completely, you would be pushed to do things for yourself. And that is what I think is affecting us because most of the time, whatever we want to use, we find. And once you are finding them, you find them readily. You are not so hungry to do something for yourself. And that is what is affecting what we do here,” he said. 

For Dr. Gifty Boakye Appiah, getting young people to pursue innovation begins with challenging themselves to think differently to bring about the change society seeks. She, therefore, urged young innovators present to seek out similar events such as the Grand Challenge Workshop, where opportunities abound for innovative thinking and funding avenues.

“The idea starts with you and thankfully, there are a lot of hubs and accelerators you can leverage on, where you will be guided on how to bring your idea to fruition, help you streamline it, and give you all the support you require.

Even if they don’t have direct funding, the hubs and accelerators know where to direct you to acquire the funding you need to enable you contribute to the change we are looking for”, she remarked.

Representatives from government agencies shared details of ongoing initiatives aimed at supporting startups and small businesses. Among them is the Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS), introduced by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). This three-stage licensing system helps small businesses improve product safety and quality while ensuring compliance with public health regulations. 

Additionally, the HAPPY Project, implemented by the Ghana Enterprises Foundation in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Agri-Impact Co. Ltd, aims to empower 15,000 young entrepreneurs. The initiative focuses on post-production activities within key agricultural value chains such as rice, soybean, tomato, and poultry. 

The UKGCC Grand Challenge Programme

The UKGCC’s Head of External Relations, Worlase Afatsiawo, shared during her opening remarks that the Grand Challenge Programme seeks to encourage and support innovation that addresses pressing national and sectoral challenges, and foster collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, government agencies, and the private sector.

She added that the programme further seeks to provide capacity-building and funding opportunities to innovators to refine and scale their solutions, as well as create a sustainable pipeline of investable, commercially viable, and impactful projects.

“In addition to the mentorship and guidance received from industry leaders at the workshop, shortlisted applicants will also receive the opportunity to pitch for spots in a United Kingdom roadshow—offering international exposure and investment opportunities,” she concluded.

According to Mrs. Afatsiawo, the workshops held in both Accra and Kumasi, will be followed by a public invitation for researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to submit proposals.

She urged aspiring contestants to look forward to the announcement on the UKGCC’s social media platforms.

The UKGCC Grand Challenge falls under the Sankore Programme, a United Kingdom Government-backed initiative under the West Africa Research and Innovation Hub (WARIH). Sankore focuses on strengthening West African innovation systems and scaling impactful solutions in West Africa and beyond.