Accra, March 30, GNA – Ms Rose Serwaa Oduro, the Chief Executive Officer of West African Feeds has emerged winner of the maiden edition of the incubation programme, held at the Ghana Innovation Hub (GIH) in Accra.
The programme christened « innov8GH », was launched to help participants develop their ideas as entrepreneurs into business models and as well test the assumption of the model in the market.
Ms Oduro, received a cheque of GHc50,000.00 as the most viable business entrepreneur at the end of the three-month competition, which started from January to March, 2019.
She made a presentation on her business module on ‘insect-based feed for the fish and poultry sector’ before a three-member judges out of 14 participants.
She thanked God, the organisers and all who supported her to win the competition, stressing that the gesture would propel her to scale up her production from 80 kilogram per month to 800 per month.
Mr Kwaku Adjei, the Managing Director of Organic Egg Powder came second while Nana Newman, the Chief Executive Officer of Tropical Growers followed with the third position.
The competition offered opportunity for participants to market and validate their business solutions with the help of mentors.
Ms Susanne Roelofsen, the Project Manager of the GIH, said the Hub was set up by a consortium of BlueSpace Africa, the Ghana Technology University College and MDF West Africa under the e-Transform programme of the Ministry of Communications, funded by the World Bank Group with an amount of US$1.4 million.
The Hub is aimed at building partnerships with stakeholders in the Ghana entrepreneurial ecosystem through the provision of physical space, business development support, investment matchmaking and ecosystem support for young entrepreneurs and businesses in the country.
She said one major challenge faced by potential and young entrepreneurs, aside capital, was working space to operate.
She said the establishment of the hub provided space, as well as give other advisory services to people on how to create working space for their businesses.
She called on entrepreneurs and businesses to apply for the next competition, slated in June to further build their product, services and business models.
Ms Roelofsen commended the participants for their brilliance and dexterity during their presentations, adding that the programme offered support to early stage businesses that have identified problems in the country and have reckoned ideas to solve them.
Professor Isaac Abeku Blankson, one of the Judges for the competition lauded the presentations of the participants, urging them to be creative and work on expanding their business plans to be competitive in the emerging markets.
Prof Blankson, who is also the Vice President of the Ghana Technology University College, Accra said the competition had provided an avenue for them to identify their customers, create partnerships for the advancement of their business plans.
