info@businessghana.com
Thirty entrepreneurs from the cultural and creative industries have been selected for this year’s creation of the Africa Ghana incubation programme to provide them with the opportunity to thrive in the creative space.
The programme, which was launched last year, is being organised by the French Embassy in Ghana in collaboration with Impact Hub, a social entrepreneurship and innovation centre.
It seeks to bridge the gap between artistry and entrepreneurship by providing participants with essential skills and resources to thrive in the creative space through intensive training, mentorship and networking.
The shortlisted persons, selected from 608 applicants from diverse areas including fashion, culinary, arts, photography, music and literature, would be put under an intensive boot camp after which 10 participants who distinguish themselves would be chosen to receive funding of €30,000.
At an event to announce the shortlisted persons in Accra, the French Ambassador to Ghana, Jules-Armand Aniambossou, said the programme was at the heart of a new partnership that France was building with Ghana to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable job creation.
He said many steps led to this new approach, including the Africa-France Summit which took place in 2021 in Montpellier where France outlined its partnership with Africa.
Through the programme, he said France was translating those principles into action with the cultural and the creative industries. “Ghana is blessed with many talents and at the French Embassy, we recognise that creative and cultural industries offer not just entertainment, but also valuable opportunities and employment,” Mr Aniambossou said.
At the French Embassy, he said innovative contributions of industry grassroots such as intellectuals, artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. Together with Impact Hub, he said they were committed to nurturing entrepreneurial talents, fostering innovation and driving job creation.
A co-founder of Impact Hub Accra, Kelechi Ofoebgu, said he was delighted to collaborate with the French Embassy as an implementing partner to curate and roll out a programme that shed light on “An often overlooked industry.”
He said the programme was designed to support entrepreneurs with business support services, mentorship, marketing and strategic support in the different businesses within their creative space.
Providing funding support to the 10 finalists, he said could help them to do amazing jobs across the country. He told the participants to remember that opportunities were not handed over to people but rather, they were created.
Therefore, he said they must work hard to enable them to earn a spot in the final list.
