A development and entrepreneurship advocate, Dr Susan Yaa Aframa Arkah, has called for increased investment in entrepreneurship, innovation and agribusiness as critical tools for driving sustainable economic growth and development across Africa.

She said entrepreneurship had the potential to address some of the continent's most pressing challenges, including unemployment, poverty and food insecurity, particularly among the youth.

Delivering the keynote address at the British Council-funded Transnational Education (TNE) Workshop in Accra last Wednesday, Dr Arkah urged governments, academia, industry and development partners to harness opportunities within the agricultural sector to create jobs and promote economic transformation.

The address was on the theme: “Entrepreneurship and Agribusiness in the African Context”.

Dr Arkah said Africa's rapidly growing youthful population remained one of its greatest assets and called for a shift from traditional employment models to entrepreneurship and enterprise development.

“Africa's future prosperity depends on our ability to transform challenges into opportunities through entrepreneurship, innovation and value creation,” she said.

Agribusiness potential

Dr Arkah said agribusiness should be viewed beyond primary agricultural production and recognised as a broad value chain that includes processing, packaging, transportation, marketing, technology and export development.

She explained that African countries could generate greater economic returns by focusing on value addition and industrialisation rather than exporting raw commodities.

According to her, such an approach would increase incomes, create employment opportunities and strengthen local industries.

The keynote speaker also highlighted the growing role of technology in transforming agriculture across the continent.

She cited examples of young entrepreneurs developing digital platforms, mobile applications, climate-smart technologies and innovative financing models to improve agricultural productivity and expand market access.

She said innovation remained essential for improving efficiency and competitiveness within the agricultural sector.

Role of universities

Dr Arkah stressed the need for universities and higher education institutions to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets among students.

She said tertiary institutions should prepare graduates to become innovators, job creators and problem-solvers rather than depend solely on formal employment opportunities.

She further advocated stronger collaboration between academia and industry to support entrepreneurship and innovation, create the foundations for long-term prosperity and drive transformational change,” she said.