Benjamin Gyan Kesse, Director of the Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC), has disclosed that, entrepreneurs who receive support for their businesses will succeed. According to him, the support must be tailored to skills development, funding and technological know-how to improve their businesses.
Mr Kesse further revealed challenges of skills development are encountered by entrepreneurs in the country which impedes their growth. He further indicated that, they must be tackled by policymakers to help these businesses scale up.
“As much as we are doing more, I think we need to also focus more on skills development; the financing and the technology that will help and be able to meet the quality and the quantity. Because most of [entrepreneurs] doing the good stuff are not able to scale up because they do not have all that they need to be able to move to the next level.
“We are looking for funding, but we are not getting [it]. Financing, technology, skills development, and also the infrastructure to support is something that we can do to aid those who are already in the field and also encourage others who want to come to this stage”.
Policymakers’ intervention
Additionally, Mr Kesse noted that despite his outfit’s few initiatives and assistance to young entrepreneurs, there is the need for more intervention programs from policymakers. He explained that, this will help them meet their goals
“KIC is supporting young entrepreneurs to come up with innovative solutions. We do not even get that much engagement from policymakers. Young entrepreneurs are always approaching the Ministry of Finance, and they are not getting support.”
Over the years, KIC has empowered entrepreneurs by transforming their ideas into viable, self-sustaining businesses. Similarly, they also assist small businesses to scale up and reach their full potential.
Kosmos Agribusiness Bootcamp
In 2016, Kosmos Energy provided support for Agribusiness Bootcamp participants with better understanding of how to scale up agribusiness ventures to meet both local and global markets.
The Bootcamp afforded participants the opportunity to learn how to partner and scale themselves into a multinational’s supply chain. It was also intended to help them integrate their businesses and acquire tools.
Vice-President and Country Manager of Kosmos Energy Ghana, Mr. Joe Mensah, then revealed that the initiative aligned with its social investment programme.
According to him, the KIC represents an exciting new social investment program that was arguably the most important corporate effort in the history of Kosmos Energy in Ghana.
“Except this time we play the role of an angel investor who is ready to support an entrepreneur who shows an exceptional desire to succeed; and that success translates into solving some of Ghana’s most pressing developmental challenges.
“We have to take advantage of all the opportunities around us to develop the agricultural sector in Ghana. We have to seize the opportunity to tap from the enormous experience and knowledge that these experts and resource persons in agribusiness and other sectors, from the diaspora bring to us”.
Furthermore, he revealed that the first challenge of KIC was focused on connection between ICT innovation and agriculture.
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