Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), Mr. Iddrisu D. Mahmoud, on May 7, presented start-up kits to 268 participants under the Agriculture and Agribusiness to Entrepreneurship (AA2E) component of the BizBox Project in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region.

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He made the presentation on behalf of the CEO of the agency, Ms. Margaret Ansei, per a Facebook post by the agency on May 21.

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The participants who were involved in shea butter and rice processing received start-up kits comprising aluminum cooking pots, basins, stoves, tarpaulins, hair covers, and gloves.

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These tools, the agency said, will provide practical support for participants to establish and manage sustainable businesses.

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In addition to the kits, participants received training in technical skills, agribusiness management, and the Start Your Business (SYB) program, equipping them with critical knowledge for their entrepreneurial pursuits.

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The Business In A Box (BizBox) Project is a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and GhanaEnterprises Agency (GEA).

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The goal of the 4-year Project is to create dignified and fulfilling jobs for 250,000 young people in Ghana, with 70% being women and 10% Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) by 2027.

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The synergy of this partnership lies within the Agency’s mandate as the apex body to promote and develop Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) in Ghana and the Foundation's vision for Ghana; to enable 3 million young women and men access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.

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Through five main pillars, namely, i) Youth Skills Development, ii) Access to Markets, iii) Access to Startup Kits, iv) Youth Social Networks, and v) Institutional Strengthening, Policy, and Regulatory Support, the Project will create long-term employment opportunities for participants by leveraging existing structures, recognizable business associations, and partners, among other strategies.

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The Project is aimed at all 16 regions and 261 districts of Ghana, through GEA’s 210 Business Advisory Centres (BACs) and 37 Business Resource Centres (BRCs), which are the decentralized implementing arms of the agency.

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The targets of the intervention are youth (persons between the ages of 15 and 35 years), persons with disabilities, primarily women and vulnerable female heads of households, girls (including single nursing mothers), and youth-led businesses or businesses with the capacity to employ youth.

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