The programme is designed to enable entrepreneurs to optimise their marketing efforts and create new economic opportunities.

He said the programme had the potential to reduce unemployment within the shortest possible time, and therefore advised local entrepreneurs and the teeming unemployed youth in the country to take advantage of it and use technology to create jobs for themselves, showcase and market traditional products as well.

Mr. Owusu said with advancement in technology, online trade investments and shopping had created numerous opportunities for entrepreneurs to find new and ready markets for their products to contribute to make significant impact on the economy.

The National Youth Authority (NYA) launched the Online Marketing and Digital Entrepreneurship Programme in 2007, to equip particularly the unemployed youth and petty entrepreneurs with the requisite technology-driven entrepreneurial skills to use social media effectively to market their products and services.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr. Owusu however indicated that digital marketing required excellent branding and comprehensive packaging of products that would be attractive and meet international standard as well.“There is plethora of technological innovations that artisanal workers can take advantage of, to market their products online” he said.

According to Mr Owusu though digital or online marketing was new in Ghana’s commerce, it had good potentials and great fortunes for entrepreneurs who had to capitalize on it, and portray their products online.He explained that knowledge in digital marketing was rewarding as it enabled entrepreneurs to easily access millions of customers across the globe and interact with them and identify to meet their products needs as well as get customer feedback.

“Online have numerous advantages over traditional marketing. It easily promotes products and services. Regardless of the product or service, digital marketing can work because it is a result-oriented platform”, Mr Owusu added.Meanwhile, Leticia Tabuaah, a beneficiary of the first batch of the Online Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship Programme said the programme had enabled her to fetch new customers on the digital platform.

 Sharing her testimony with the GNA in Sunyani, Ms Tabuaah said she sold fresh tilapia, saying with the use of the internet she had been able to reach out to and supplied fishes to several customers in the hospitality industry.

She was among the 197 beneficiaries who passed out after 16 weeks of intensive training on Online Digital Media Management, organised by the NYA in Sunyani.Ms Tabuaah who is a Senior High School graduate said she had been able to expand her business, with the use of the internet and could now order quantities of fresh tilapia from Yeji in the Pru East District of Brong-Ahafo without necessarily traveling several kilometres to the fishing town.