Stakeholders call for stronger ecosystem support to scale Youth-Led Enterprises in Ghana

By:  Robert Kwaku Annor

Stakeholders in Ghana’s innovation and enterprise ecosystem have called for a more coordinated and strategic approach to support youth-led businesses in transitioning from incubation to sustainable growth.

The call was made during a research dissemination and stakeholder dialogue convened by the British Council under the Tracking Youth-Led Enterprises (TYLE) initiative. The event brought together policymakers, researchers and innovation actors to examine findings from a study focused on scaling youth-led enterprises in Ghana.

Held under the theme “From Incubation to Scale: Strengthening Youth-Led Enterprise Growth in Ghana through Ecosystem and UK-Ghana Partnerships,” the dialogue explored pathways for strengthening enterprise development and addressing systemic challenges facing startups.

The study, commissioned through the Innovation for African Universities programme, analysed data from 47 youth-led enterprises supported under its interventions. Findings highlighted persistent barriers beyond the incubation stage, including limited access to finance, weak market linkages and broader ecosystem constraints.

Presenting the research findings, George Acheampong, Project Director of UGBS Nest, underscored the structural challenges that continue to hinder the growth of young businesses after initial support phases.

Speaking at the event, Nii Doodo, Country Director of the British Council, stressed the need for a shift in approach to supporting youth enterprises, warning that maintaining the status quo would yield limited progress in outcomes. He noted that the increasingly competitive business environment requires startups to operate on equal footing with more established firms.

Also addressing participants, Afia Yeboah Agyeman, Project Manager for Higher Education at the British Council, emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration. She noted that addressing the challenges facing youth-led enterprises requires coordinated efforts among government, academia, the private sector and development partners, alongside targeted interventions in funding, training, mentorship and policy support.

Representatives from DIPPER Lab, including Scientific Director Eric Tutu Tchao, Climate and Ecosystem Monitoring Lead Enoch Bessah, Deputy Scientific Director Andrew Selasi Agbemenu, and Child Health and Innovation Lead Prince Odame, participated in the dialogue, contributing to discussions on strengthening Ghana’s enterprise support ecosystem.