The Ghana Hubs Network (GHN) has signed a cooperation agreement with the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) through its Business Development Service (BDS) Consortium aimed at enhancing the operations of innovation and incubation hubs, as well as the startups under their remit.
The move will deepen collaboration by more than 50 hubs and their respective startups across all regions in the country and lead to a deepening of the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Speaking during webinar organised for the signing, Chief Executive Officer for Hopin Academy, who doubles as the chairman of the Ghana Hub Network, MacCarthy Mac-Gbathy said the agreement would enable participating organisations create a network of accountability and work with the AfDB and its partner State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of the Government of the Swiss Confederation (SECO).
He said partners to the agreement have resolved to ensure that the envisaged benefits accrue to intended beneficiaries to enhance the building of long-term relationships with the AfDB and its consortium partners.
He, therefore, encouraged all members of the network to take full advantage of the opportunity when the details are rolled out to grow their initiatives to enable them to grow their businesses to contribute to the socio-economic needs of the country.
“We will also commence awareness in the tertiary institutions to educate students on the need to identify opportunities with the program they pursue to create jobs and not to graduate and rely on the government for jobs that do not exist,” he said.
He added that the key sectors of interest include Agriculture, e-Commerce, Education, Financial service, and Healthcare.
The Ghana Hubs Network is the umbrella body of tech and innovation hubs, set up to support and promote the collaboration of hubs to build a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem.
AfDB BDS Consortium consists of Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), an Africa-wide technology entrepreneur training program, seed fund, and incubator, a company duly incorporated under the laws of Ghana and having its registered office in Accra, and EyeCity Solutions.
