Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) and Italy’s Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore have launched an executive programme to train consultants to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) address business challenges and improve their operations.
The six-month Executive Programme in Business Analysis and Consulting, offered under KNUST’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CoHSS), aims to make professional advisory services more accessible to businesses unable to afford large consulting firms.
Professor Ahmed Agyapong, Provost of the College, who chaired the launch, said the initiative reflected the College’s commitment to providing executive education that responds to industry needs.
“The business landscape in Ghana, from SME development to well-established corporations, needs skills. We need people who are strategic thinkers, innovative and able to translate business ideas into practical solutions,” he said.
He encouraged participants to contribute to discussions, share their experiences and build professional networks.
Professor Samuel Yaw Akomea, Head of the Centre for Business Development (CBD) said the programme had evolved from an entrepreneurship training concept into a specialised consulting initiative after the partners identified a shortage of affordable advisory services for smaller businesses.
He said the curriculum combined academic instruction with practical experience, allowing participants to apply their knowledge to real business situations.
Participants would work with businesses to identify operational challenges, analyse financial and management practices, and recommend solutions. They would also study corporate governance, business organisation and the practical aspects of running a consultancy.
“This time, there’s a live case study,” he said, emphasising the programme’s practical approach.
Professor Akomea said participants would work in groups to provide consulting services to selected SMEs, gaining experience in managing assignments and learning directly from business owners about the challenges of implementing business strategies.
Mr Saviour Agortimevor, Country Director of the E4Impact Foundation, representing the international partner, said the programme sought to address the difficulties SMEs face in accessing professional consulting services.
“If we believe and know for a fact that SMEs are the backbone of the Ghanaian economy, we ought to be preparing a workforce and a service that can address those very important businesses,” he said.
He reaffirmed Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore’s commitment to the collaboration, describing the initiative as the beginning of a long-term partnership.
Mr Agortimevor said the launch marked the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed with KNUST two years earlier under former Vice-Chancellor Professor Rita Akosua Dickson.
“We are really excited about this launch, and we are looking forward to really great work to be done,” he said.
He said the partnership was established under the European Union-funded Ghana Path for Skills project, which supports tertiary institutions in strengthening entrepreneurship education and development.
He also acknowledged the support of the European Union Delegation to Ghana and the United Nations Capital Development Fund for related enterprise development initiatives.
Outlining the programme, Dr David Antwi, Business Coach for the Business Analysis and Consulting programme, said participants would be taught by academics from both universities and experienced industry practitioners.
The training would combine classroom sessions, online learning, practical activities and networking opportunities through five boot camps.
Participants would learn to diagnose business challenges, conduct financial analysis, support evidence-based business decisions, and apply digital technologies and artificial intelligence to business analysis and consulting.
Dr Antwi said graduates would be equipped to establish their own consultancies or join existing firms serving SMEs and larger organisations in Ghana and beyond.
He urged participants to commit to the training and make full use of its practical opportunities.
Mr Festus Nyame, Registrar of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, encouraged participants to complete their admission and fee-payment requirements. He said eligible participants could begin the programme after paying at least 50% of the fees.
Story: Akosua Pokuaa Mensah
