For many university students, talent often lives quietly alongside lecture notes, surfacing only during hall week celebrations and campus events before disappearing again under the pressure of academic life.
Increasingly, however, companies are beginning to see these campuses differently, not simply as places to market products, but as reservoirs of untapped creative talent capable of generating jobs, businesses and exportable cultural brands.
That shift is beginning to reshape how corporate Ghana engages young people.
NESCAFÉ’s newly launched “My Coffee, My Vibe” campaign reflects this trend, using university campuses not merely to promote its products but to discover singers and dancers with the potential to build lasting careers in Ghana’s expanding creative economy.
Instead of ending with applause after a campus performance, the competition offers winners GH¢30,000 in prize money alongside professional mentorship designed to help transform talent into sustainable livelihoods.
The programme will visit the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Ghana (UG), where students will audition through 45-second videos submitted online before progressing to live performances.
For Ghana’s youth employment agenda, initiatives such as these represent more than corporate promotions. They reflect growing private-sector recognition that the country’s creative industries can become an important source of jobs, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
Creative Industries Emerging as Economic Assets
Across the world, music, film, fashion, digital content and entertainment have become significant contributors to economic growth.
In Ghana, the creative sector already supports thousands of livelihoods, yet many talented young people struggle to move beyond occasional performances because they lack visibility, industry connections and professional guidance.
Corporate-backed talent programmes are beginning to narrow that gap by providing exposure, financial support and structured mentorship.
According to Lilly Boatemaa Ntim, Category Development Manager for NESCAFÉ Ghana, the campaign was intentionally built around passion and self-expression because these are central to how young people connect with the world.
“We want coffee not to be just stimulation or an afterthought but something that is part of their lifestyle,” she said.
“We wanted to merge it into self-expression. We wanted to merge it into what they know best, which is their passion, because that’s how they express themselves.”
Universities Becoming Talent Incubators
Ghana’s universities have produced many of the country’s musicians, actors, dancers and digital creators.
Rather than waiting for talent to emerge after graduation, companies are increasingly taking talent discovery directly to campuses, where creativity is already thriving.
NESCAFÉ , managed in Ghana by Nestlé Ghana Limited says the initiative is designed to engage students in spaces where they feel most comfortable while giving them an opportunity to showcase their abilities before wider audiences.
Contestants will first upload audition videos through the brand’s digital platforms before advancing to campus performances and eventually a national finale.
The online process also allows participants to gain visibility beyond the competition itself, creating opportunities for collaborations, sponsorships and future engagements.
Mentorship Could Be the Bigger Prize
While the GH¢30,000 cash reward provides immediate motivation, the mentorship attached to the programme may have longer-lasting value.
Many talented young creatives possess artistic ability but lack access to experienced professionals who can guide them through branding, performance management and career development.
By pairing financial support with mentorship, the programme aims to help participants build careers rather than simply win competitions.
As Ghana continues to search for solutions to youth unemployment, programmes that combine talent development with practical career support are becoming increasingly relevant.
A New Role for Corporate Ghana
The initiative also illustrates how companies are broadening their contribution to national development.
Instead of viewing sponsorship purely as a marketing exercise, businesses are beginning to position themselves as partners in developing young talent and strengthening sectors with long-term economic potential.
For Ghana, where a youthful population continues to enter the labour market each year, investment in creative industries offers another avenue for employment, entrepreneurship and export growth.
Creative talent requires relatively modest capital to develop but can generate significant economic returns through music, entertainment, digital content and cultural exports.
By turning university campuses into talent pipelines, My Coffee, My Vibe demonstrates how corporate investment in creativity can extend beyond brand visibility to support Ghana’s broader ambition of building a knowledge-driven and opportunity-rich economy.
