The Kumasi Business Incubator (KBI) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, in collaboration with the McDan Group of Companies on Thursday, 11th August 2022, hosted the Kumasi Edition of the McDan Youth Connect and Entrepreneurial Challenge under the theme “Impacting Youth Development with Entrepreneurship” at the Great Hall, KNUST.
In his welcome address, the CEO and Founder of McDan Group of Companies, Dr. Daniel Mckorley said that, given the significant number of youths in the country, it was evident that Ghana’s growth and development rests in the hands of the youth with majority of them in secondary and tertiary institutions. “The youth are the leaders of tomorrow’s generation which is why it is important to nurture them to focus on building globally competitive entrepreneurial businesses that can create employment and alleviate poverty,” he added.
He further advised young entrepreneurs to be innovative and exhibit business intelligence to enable them to present their pitches and business ideas more accurately.
According to Dr. Mckorley, the McDan Youth Connect and Entrepreneurial Challenge enable young entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to win a cash prize of Ten Thousand Ghana Cedis (GhC 10,000.00) in funds and mentorship to serve as a massive push to expand their business.
The Kumasi edition of the challenge comprised ten applicants who were levelled on creativity, innovation, sustainability, and uniqueness. It was facilitated by three judges; Mr. Simon Turner, Mr. Kwaku Amprofi, and Mr. Benji Takyi, and saw an extensive competition among contestants from across the Ashanti Region.
Mr. Jeffery Appiagyei, the corporate lead, and co-founder of SAYeTECH Company Limited, Kumasi, emerged as the overall winner of the Challenge. Also, he received a free pass into the Season 2 of the McDan Entrepreneurial Challenge and a month’s training on presentation skills and nurturing by the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Image Bureau, George Quaye Aboagye.
SAYeTECH is a start-up that provides designs and builds smart agricultural machinery suited for African conditions and usage.
Mr. Appiagyei expressed his profound gratitude to the organisers of the program and urged other students and young entrepreneurs to participate in such initiatives to propel them to greater heights.
In attendance were the President of the Student Representative Council, KNUST, Mr. Michael Abuah; Founder and CEO of Benji Group of Companies, Mr. Benji Takyi; CEO of UNI-JAY, Mrs. Janet Abobigu; Head Captain of McDan Aviation, Captain Solomon Quaye; Former Director of Finance of McDan Group of Companies, Mr. Richard Toku; Mr. Simon Turner, and other members of the McDan Youth Connect.
In a related development, Dr. Daniel Mckorley and his team paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson. In her remarks, the Vice-Chancellor indicated that KNUST, as the preeminent scientific and technological institution in Ghana, values partnerships that assist KNUST in its mandate.
Professor Dickson, therefore, welcomed the McDan Group and urged them to join forces with KNUST to provide entrepreneurship training and drive community engagement to improve the quality of life of students. “We believe in constructive partnership. We believe in what we can do with our corporate partners and other stakeholders so that we can move the mandate of this University ahead,” she said.
