The African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Jobs for Youth in Africa (JfYA) launched an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab to increase the capacity of ESOs to support viable entrepreneurship ecosystems across Africa. As the implementation partner, EyeCity provided Business Development Support (BDS) services targeted at enterprises and Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) in Ghana.
The project team conducted a comprehensive review of entrepreneur trends in Ghana and highlighted key industries of focus. The identified key sectors included Agribusiness, Fintech, Health, Education, and Services sectors.
Needs assessment survey:
A needs assessment survey was developed and deployed to enterprise support organizations (ESOs) and entrepreneurs in multiple regions of Ghana. The survey was designed to identify the gaps and needs of ESOs and entrepreneurs in the targeted sectors they operate in, namely the agriculture, health, finance, commerce, and education sectors.
Development of training curriculum:
Using the collated data on the needs of ESOs and entrepreneurs, a training curriculum was developed for enterprises and enterprise support organizations in Ghana. The curriculum was designed to provide support in areas such as networking, capacity building, and management skills.
Delivery of Business Development Support services:
We organized virtual networking events, capacity building webinars, and workshops. These events were designed to provide support and resources to entrepreneurs and ESOs to help them create and support viable entrepreneurship ecosystems in Ghana.
Impact of the Business Development Support Program:
The Business Development Support Program in Ghana had a significant impact on the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ghana. The program helped to increase the capacity of ESOs and entrepreneurs in Ghana to support viable entrepreneurship ecosystems in the identified key sectors. Some of the key impacts of the program include:
Increased access to resources and support:
The program provided entrepreneurs and ESOs in Ghana with access to resources and support such as networking events, capacity building webinars, and workshops. This helped them to acquire new skills and knowledge, and to connect with other entrepreneurs and ESOs in the same sector.
Improved viability of entrepreneurship ecosystems:
The program contributed to the improved viability of entrepreneurship ecosystems in Ghana, especially in the identified key sectors. The training provided to ESOs, and entrepreneurs helped them to create and support viable entrepreneurship ecosystems in their respective sectors.
Policy Recommendations:
The project team developed a white paper highlighting the trends and provided recommendations for the key players such as the government, financiers, entrepreneurs, and ESOs.