Administrators of local start-up funds supporting youth-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are being urged to strengthen their communication strategies to improve access to capital.

The German International Cooperation (GIZ) says that despite numerous interventions from government and the private sector, more awareness is needed to ensure young entrepreneurs can fully access available funding opportunities.

Speaking at the NextGen Opportunities Forum 2025 in Accra on Friday, August 15, Emmanuel Mumuni, Component Manager at GIZ, emphasized that both fund managers and start-ups need to be more proactive.

“There are many opportunities, but not enough noise about them. On the other hand, we also have start-ups that are not actively seeking these opportunities. When we run programs, we often find the same groups of businesses applying repeatedly, even though there’s a much larger pool of start-ups not engaging,” he said.

Mumuni encouraged fund administrators to expand their outreach through diverse platforms while urging start-ups to take initiative in connecting with funding bodies.

For his part, Nabil Ahmed Rufai, Media and Logistics Coordinator for the NextGen Opportunities Forum, explained that the annual event brings together Africa’s most promising young leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, and change-makers to bridge the gap between ideas and opportunities.

He added that the forum forms part of a decade-long legacy of platforms founded by Emmanuel Leslie Addae, including TEDxLabone, TEDxAccra, and Africa Dialogues.