NEIP CEO, Mr. Kofi Ofosu Nkansah
Story by: Ishmael Barfi
Entrepreneurship and innovation is one of the essential elements in ensuring the development and growth of a country.
Ghana as a country values and acknowledges these essential elements hence the establishment of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP).
The establishment of NEIP according to the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kofi Ofosu Nkansah in an interview is to provide tailored digital programmes that would harness the initiatives and creativity of the Ghanaian youth.
This he believes is the best way to ensure the success of young aspiring innovators in the country, hence job creation, development, and growth of the economy.
The NEIP programme is being supported by the Government of Ghana through grants and beneficiaries to the Ghanaian populace that won’t be paid back but needs to ensure that, the grants and beneficiaries given to them help them to grow their businesses, hence job creation.
In furtherance, he indicated that NEIP is ready to support entrepreneurship and innovations of the Ghanaian youth, adding the Ghanaian youth has a brighter future through NEIP support.
NEIP, he revealed has the responsibility to provide resources, training, business development services, capacity building, mentoring, and funding, as well as provide access to the market to anyone who showcases his or her own innovations.
Though NEIP’s objectives are similar to Ghana Enterprise Agency, and Youth Employment Programme, the Chief Executive Officer emphasized that his institution main objective is to focus on innovations, hence entrepreneurship due to its potential for development and creating jobs.
Due to the above statement, Mr. Nkansah urged the Ghanaian youth either in High school, University, Technology inclined or have innovation-related ideas who need entrepreneurship support to market their products to walk into the offices of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) for the needed assistance and support
Adding that, NEIP is always ready to provide integrated support, especially for Startups and small businesses.
“The innovation and start-up ecosystem of NEIP is different from the MSME ecosystem, requiring a tailor-made framework to make a meaningful impact in the innovation space”, he reiterated.
The development of countries like Asia, America, and other developed countries according to Mr. Ofosu Nkansah is a result of innovations citing Facebook, Instagram, LG, Samsung, and others.
Over 100,000 jobs according to Mr. Nkansah have been created since the inception of the program through NEIP’s various initiatives, including the Presidential Pitch, High School Innovative Contest, National Innovation Contest, and other initiatives aimed at providing support to start-up businesses to grow.
To ensure sustainability through proper regulation, he explained that, his outfit is currently working on an Act called the Ghana Innovation and Startup Act.
The Act he noted would regulate the program hence serving its purpose of establishment and its sustainability.
In addition, he indicated that NEIP is working assiduously to help Ghanaians register their innovative ideas and patents at the World Intellectual Property Organization as other country nationals.
This he said is to help the Ghanaian inventor to gain financial benefits whenever his or her ideas are developed anywhere in the world.
The National Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programme (NEIP) is a flagship policy initiative by the Government of Ghana.
It’s primary objective Is to provide an integrated national support for start-ups and small businesses with the primarily focuses on providing business development services; startup incubators and funding for young businesses to enable them grow and become successful.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
