UBIDS Launches Practical Entrepreneurship Certificate programme to Boost Business Growth

The University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), in partnership with the E4Impact Foundation and supported by the United Nations Capital Development Fund and the European Union, has launched the International Certificate in Impact Entrepreneurship (ICIE) programme.

The programme is aimed at equipping entrepreneurs with practical skills to grow sustainable businesses. The Project Lead, Prof. Felicia Naatu, explained that the three-month certificate programme targets a wide range of participants, including individuals with business ideas, start-ups seeking direction, and existing entrepreneurs who need structure, guidance, and networks to scale their ventures.

She emphasised that the initiative is designed as a hands-on training programme rather than a purely academic course, focusing on real-world entrepreneurial competencies.

According to her, the training will cover financial management, go-to-market strategies, customer profiling, and effective product communication, all tailored to help participants create lasting value and build enterprises capable of long-term survival.

She noted that the programme was developed in response to unemployment and poverty challenges, particularly in northern Ghana, and is intended to position participants to create jobs for themselves and others.

Prof. Naatu added that although the programme requires a participation fee of GH₵2,000, it is meant for committed individuals determined to build viable businesses, stressing that the goal is not merely to obtain a certificate but to develop practical entrepreneurial capacity.

The Ghana Country Director of the E4Impact Foundation, Mr Saviour Agortimevor, stated that the foundation has over a decade of experience supporting African entrepreneurs across more than 20 countries through business training, advisory services, and access to finance and markets.

He explained that UBIDS was selected among six universities nationwide to implement the certification programme because of its strategic role in nurturing enterprise development.

Mr Agortimevor described the initiative as a blend of academic rigour, business incubation, and acceleration, designed to help participants test business models, refine strategies, and strengthen financial planning within the three-month training period.

He added that the broader objective is to stimulate job creation across the region and Ghana as a whole. The launch event also featured a pitch session, during which six entrepreneurs presented their businesses to a panel of judges.