Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has emphasised progress under the Adwumawura initiative, introducing the Student Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) Programme as a structured extension to support youth enterprise development.
Speaking at the launch of SEED at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), the Vice-President disclosed that the government has exceeded its initial target of supporting 2,000 businesses under Edumera, with financial assistance reaching “over 3,200 beneficiaries.” She further indicated that the programme has outperformed its training goals, with “more than 10,800 young Ghanaians” completing structured entrepreneurship training, followed by post-training mentorship.
She described the outcomes as a “promise given life,” pointing to measurable progress in a policy area central to addressing youth unemployment. According to her, the strong uptake of the programme reflects both the scale of demand and the readiness of young people to engage in enterprise development when provided with the right support systems.
The Vice-President noted that applications surged within “24 hours” of the programme’s opening, highlighting what she termed a “depth of ambition” among Ghanaian youth. She said this response highlights the need for sustained intervention to ensure that entrepreneurial energy is effectively channelled into viable businesses capable of generating employment and contributing to economic growth.
She emphasised that SEED is designed to deepen and expand this intervention by targeting students earlier in the pipeline. The programme, she explained, offers a “structured pathway” for learners across universities, technical institutions, and colleges of education to develop and scale business ideas. It integrates training, mentorship, incubation, and financing into what she described as a “single integrated framework,” with a focus on scalability and practical outcomes.
Positioning entrepreneurship as a core economic strategy, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stated that opportunity lies not only in formal employment but also in the capacity to “create same,” urging students to embrace enterprise as a viable career path. She added that entrepreneurial training builds competencies in “taking initiative,” “managing resources,” and “executing ideas,” which are critical not only for business development but also for leadership.
The Vice-President also acknowledged the role of ecosystem actors, including innovation hubs, government agencies, private sector partners, and development organisations, in supporting programme implementation. She stressed that collaboration across these stakeholders is essential to scaling impact and ensuring sustainability.
SEED forms part of a broader youth development and empowerment agenda under the Mahama administration, aimed at embedding entrepreneurship within Ghana’s education system. By extending enterprise support into tertiary institutions, the government is seeking to build a pipeline of business-ready graduates equipped to transition from ideation to execution.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang urged students to take advantage of the initiative, describing it as a critical platform to “transform ideas into sustainable businesses” and contribute to national development.
