The Upper East Regional Director of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Monica Bakiva, has described the Adwumawura Program as a transformative initiative designed to equip young entrepreneurs with practical skills to build sustainable businesses.
Speaking on A1 Radio’s Equal Voices on Sunday, Bakiva clarified that the program is not merely about distributing financial grants but about strengthening the capacity of beneficiaries to expand responsibly and create jobs.
According to her, 672 beneficiaries in the Upper East Region participated in the first phase of the Adwumawura Program, part of a nationwide target of 10,000 youth.
Ms. Bakiva explained that the five-week capacity-building training was structured into three categories to reflect participants’ educational backgrounds.
“We grouped the well-educated together, the semi-educated in another category, and those without formal education separately so that everyone could understand and benefit fully,” she said.
The training covered financial management, customer relations, resource management, business expansion strategies and proposal writing.
She noted that many traders and small-scale entrepreneurs acknowledged they had operated for years without fully understanding how to manage profits or scale their businesses strategically.
“It is not just about the grant. The knowledge alone has changed mindsets,” she emphasized.
Addressing public misconceptions, Ms. Bakiva stressed that the financial support component is not “free money” but structured assistance for business expansion.
“If you have ten employees, government will not force you to employ five more without capacity. The grant is meant to help you expand your space, increase production and then employ more people sustainably,” she explained.
Nationwide, only 2,000 beneficiaries will receive grants following a detailed review by an independent Business Grant Committee. Monitoring will continue after disbursement to ensure accountability.
“Our aim is to reduce unemployment through structured growth, not forced employment,” she added.
Ms. Bakiva also described the proposed Women’s Development Bank as a significant boost for female entrepreneurs, noting that traditional banking systems often make it difficult for women to access loans due to collateral requirements and high savings thresholds.
“With the Women’s Bank, interest rates will be lower and collateral requirements more flexible. Many market women will finally have access to capital,” she said.
However, she cautioned that beneficiaries must repay loans responsibly to sustain the initiative.
“If we build it well and repay properly, it will serve our generation and generations yet unborn,” she said.
On infrastructure development, Ms. Bakiva confirmed that a site has been secured in the Upper East Region for the government’s proposed 24-hour market project, with construction expected to begin soon.
She encouraged young women and entrepreneurs to apply when the Adwumawura portal reopens.
“Even if you do not receive the grant, the training alone can transform your business and make you independent,” she said.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Keziah Porepeya Nsoh | Bolgatanga
