The Coalition for Positive Impact (CPI) has officially launched the eighth edition of the Igniting Dreams Summit in Wa, unveiling a landmark partnership with the Mastercard Foundation as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment and promote entrepreneurship in Northern Ghana.
Held at the Blue Hill Hotel under the theme “Reimagining Possibilities: Youth Innovation and Investment in Northern Ghana,” the two-day summit brought together traditional leaders, business executives, investors, entrepreneurs, students, and development partners to explore practical solutions to unemployment and drive investment in the northern part of the country.
A key highlight of the summit was a live business pitch competition in which 20 fellows competed for up to GH¢100,000 in seed funding to support their ventures.
Delivering the welcome address, CPI Founder and President Maazu Bayuoni said the region faces a generational challenge that requires bold investment in young entrepreneurs rather than short-term interventions.
Citing figures showing youth unemployment at 25.7 per cent across the five northern regions and poverty levels exceeding 50 per cent, he called on investors and policymakers to rethink how capital is deployed.
“Inclusive capital allocation is not charity. It is one of the smartest investments you can make,” Mr Bayuoni said.
“We are not just facing an economic crisis. We are facing a generational crisis. The young entrepreneurs in this room are building the employment infrastructure of Northern Ghana’s future.”
Speaking in an interview after the opening session, Mr Bayuoni outlined an ambitious 25-year vision to empower one million young African entrepreneurs and help create 10 million jobs across sub-Saharan Africa, to address the growing number of young people expected to enter the labour market over the coming decades.
He said Africa’s development agenda must prioritise employment creation over individual wealth accumulation.
“In Africa, we need jobs. We don’t just need to make people millionaires,” he said.
Mr Bayuoni also stressed that investment should be measured not only by financial returns but also by its social impact on communities.
Opening the summit, Chief Executive Officer of Nuoyong Business Empire, Stephen Mwinkaara, encouraged young people to reject the belief that opportunities are limited because of where they come from.
Recalling how he walked the streets of Wa as a young man carrying a hoe in search of manual work, he urged participants to embrace what he described as “intelligent ignorance” by refusing to accept perceived regional limitations and focusing on adding value to local resources.
“The transformation of Northern Ghana will not come from Accra alone. It will come from right here. From the ground up,” he said.
Mr Mwinkaara added that processing locally produced raw materials could significantly increase incomes.
“Adding value to raw materials can increase their worth threefold. If we add value to what we produce here, we make enough money.”
He also called on experienced professionals to mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs.
“Let’s face it and let’s be honest: we are who we are today because the generation ahead of us took their time to bring us to this level. So we also have a responsibility to bring the youth to this level.”
Commending the organisers, he said initiatives such as the Igniting Dreams Summit provide young people with the guidance and encouragement they need to succeed.
“We believe that there is hope for the next generation as we consistently engage these minds. There is so much potential in them, but somebody has to help them, somebody has to mentor them, somebody has to lead them, somebody has to inspire them.”
Among the speakers was Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Sommalife Ltd, Mawuse Gyisun, who described building an agribusiness in Northern Ghana as an “impossible mission” during its early stages.
She recalled travelling on a motorbike along poor rural roads to organise smallholder farmers while also overcoming gender stereotypes.
“My work requires that I work with community leaders and traditional leaders. Sometimes, even finding the confidence to stand before them because you’re a woman, they are not sure what you are bringing. They would rather want you to stick to women before they pay attention to you. That alone is an emotional rollercoaster.”
Despite the challenges, Ms Gyisun said her technology-driven agribusiness has now digitised more than 100,000 farmers and connected over 40,000 of them to active commercial markets.
She also urged graduates to explore opportunities outside the capital.
“I get frustrated when I see people finish university and say they want to do national service in Accra. That place is already overpopulated. Can people not see what we see here?”
Professor Felicia Naatu of the University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) said universities are increasingly shifting from theory-based education to practical entrepreneurship training.
According to her, students are already developing innovations, including locally manufactured mini tractors and organic wine produced from surplus tomatoes.
“Our universities are focusing on training people with entrepreneurial abilities to build sustainable businesses,” she said.
Local innovation organisations also announced new interventions to support aspiring entrepreneurs.
Chief Executive Officer of Noni Hub, Sumaila Chakura, highlighted the hub’s Accelerating Change through Agriculture programme, which supports young people under the age of 35 entering the agricultural value chain.
Founder of the Anwelle Foundation and CPI board member Frank Anwelle announced that his organisation had sponsored 20 young entrepreneurs from Jirapa to participate in the summit.
He said entrepreneurship remains one of the most effective ways to address unemployment.
“We see entrepreneurship as a game changer. Today we put all the burden on government to provide jobs, which is difficult. We need to help young people build a savings culture and strengthen their credit profile so they can access loans.”
The impact of the summit’s interventions was highlighted by the Chief Executive Officer of Amishea Company Limited, Mumuni Amina, winner of the 2023 Igniting Dreams business competition.
She said the seed funding she received from CPI had helped transform her Bole-Bamboi-based shea butter business into a growing enterprise that now trains 38 women and produces eight tonnes of shea butter each month.
In his closing remarks, Mr Bayuoni encouraged young entrepreneurs to remain resilient despite the inevitable challenges of building a business.
“For young people in entrepreneurship, you must know that the journey is hard. It’s not always as rosy as people put it.
“But the most rewarding part is when you see your business becoming successful and the impact you are creating reflected in the lives of the people you serve. So just keep going.”
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