The participants selected from the agro industry, fashion, health and hospitality, participated in the capacity building programme, funded by the Ministry of Finance under the Ghana Institutional Support Programme with support from the Agence Française de Dévelopement.

The participants selected from Ho, Kpando, Keta and Hohoe Municipalities, were trained in entrepreneurship, business planning and management, ICT for business and new product development.

Mr Emmanuel Nyaku, Regional Director, NBSSI, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that operators of SMEs required managerial skills to support their technical abilities and that the training aimed at bridging the knowledge and capacity gap.

He said the SME sector was the engine of growth and a hub of employment, therefore training would facilitate their expansion and capacity to employ more people.Mr Liman Narambah, Regional Project Officer, said the training would equip the participants with adequate knowledge in product value chain; including how to formulate business plans, and sharpen their record keeping skills.  Madam Beatrice Akortia, a Health Spa and Beauty Clinic Operator, told the GNA that skills acquired in producing a business plan and defending it would help her reposition her business into a specialized dermatology and cosmetology service.