Coalition for Positive Impact (CPI), a youth-led Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has held the fourth edition of its Igniting Dreams seminar in Wa over the weekend.
Mr Maazu Bayuoni, the Executive Director of CPI, explained that “Igniting Dreams is an entrepreneurial development program that brings together youth from diverse backgrounds on a common dais to discuss and share ideas on topics centred around business, entrepreneurship and innovation.
It seeks to nurture and develop entrepreneurial youth into transformative business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Igniting Dreams features a business pitch challenge named Igniting Dreams Prize, where shortlisted young entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas before a panel of jury to contest for a cash award and business development services to accelerate their businesses.
The goal of Igniting Dreams in the next decade is to develop 100,000 entrepreneurs and help 1 million young Africans to get decent jobs.”
The seminar held on Saturday, January 8, 2022 saw over 300 young people coached on, “Wealth Creation through Financial Literacy”.
Mr Bayuoni told the Info Radio that the central idea of the Igniting Dreams seminar is to develop young leaders and entrepreneurs in their various localities to contribute meaningfully towards national development.
He touted the influence of the seminar on youths in the region as saying, it has been impactful since its first edition in 2019.
The Executive Director said in the past three editions, the seminar had brought together over 800 young entrepreneurs and reached out indirectly to over 2000 people in the Upper West Region and beyond.
He added that the seminar through its business pitching module has provided seed capital to 8 young entrepreneurs worth over GHS20,000 in the three years period.
Through the business pitching module of the seminar, three young entrepreneurs were awarded prizes as the People’s Choice worth GHS2,500, the Silver Prize worth GH 3,000 and the Gold Prize worth GHS 6,000 through a competitive selection process.
Mr Bayuoni hinted that the winners would receive business development training from the Ghana Enterprises Agency, GEA (then NBSSI) through an accelerator program to help the winners gain access to business support facilities for growth.
After the pitch, Plan B Solutions emerged as the People’s Choice Prize winner with Favour’s Enterprise bagging home the Silver Prize and Smart Innovations clinching the Gold Prize.
The Excellence in Business and Leadership Awards which was first introduced in January 2021 was also conferred on five (05) outstanding entrepreneurs who are doing extraordinary work in the upper west region.
The CPI Executive Director said "the purpose of the award scheme is to recognize and celebrate excellence in entrepreneurship and business to inspire and motivate the youth within the upper west region to strive for excellence in their various entrepreneurial endeavors."
This year’s awardees were selected from five categories namely, Agribusiness, Education, Healthcare, Fashion & Tourism and the Young Entrepreneur of the year.
Below is a list of the winners.
1. Mr Ibrahim Osman - Young Entrepreneur
2. Madam Asana Ismail - Fashion and Tourism
3. Alhaji Antiku Abdulai - Agribusiness
4. Mr. Mumuni Adams - Education
5. Dr. Ibrahim Donkor Muslim - Healthcare
Participants at the seminar expressed gratitude to CPI for the event saying that it was very impactful and life-changing. They expressed optimism that it could turn their lives around in the entrepreneurial arena.
The theme for this year’s seminar was, “Wealth Creation through Financial Literacy”.