The Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND) has organized the Young Green Entrepreneurs (YGE) Forum in Accra, Ghana to address the challenges facing young entrepreneurs and to provide information on accessing funding opportunities.
The forum brought together young entrepreneurs running eco-friendly businesses as part of the agenda to achieve net-zero emissions through youth-led innovative solutions.
The event was held under the theme “Empowering the Green Generation: Nurturing Young Green Entrepreneurs in Ghana.” Participants included representatives from tertiary and secondary institutions, as well as stakeholders from both state and non-state entities, all aiming to create effective ways to support green business initiatives.
An expert from the AfCFTA Secretariat, Ms. Gonaya Sethora, used the platform to call on African leaders to tackle youth unemployment with the same urgency as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In my message to African leaders, I emphasize that youth unemployment in Africa is a pandemic. We need to respond to youth unemployment in the same way that African countries addressed the COVID-19 crisis—with commitment and political will,” Ms. Sethori said. “Young people in Africa have immense potential. Africa has what it needs, and the most important resource is its youth. Let us support, finance, and facilitate their businesses so they can scale up.”
She also encouraged young entrepreneurs to be persistent in their endeavors, adding, “My advice to young people is to keep pushing. There are development partners out there—the AfCFTA Secretariat, the African Union, UNDP—and Ghana has one of the most active diplomatic missions. Knock on our doors, and we are ready to assist you.”
Chibeze Ezekiel, Executive Director of SYND, highlighted the importance of the forum. “The Young Green Entrepreneurs Forum is one of our flagship activities. It aims to support young green entrepreneurs who are working in silos, in their own small ways. Bringing them together exposes them to investors, policymakers, and business leaders who can share information on how to scale their businesses,” he said. “The goal of this workshop is to help young people grow their businesses, transforming from small ideas into medium enterprises.”
The Young Green Entrepreneurs Forum is part of SYND’s ongoing efforts to promote youth empowerment and environmental sustainability in Ghana. By fostering a supportive environment for young entrepreneurs, the forum aims to contribute to the economic development of Ghana while also addressing the global challenge of climate change.