MTN Ghana Foundation board chair urges youth entrepreneurship to tackle unemployment crisis

Professor Franklyn Manu, Board Chairman of the MTN Ghana Foundation, has called for stronger promotion of entrepreneurship among Ghanaian youth as part of efforts to confront the growing challenge of unemployment. He made the call in Accra during MTN Ghana’s “Bright Conversations” series, which celebrates distinguished personalities and their contributions to national development.

MTN has been encouraging youth entrepreneurship through initiatives such as the Enterprise Support Programme, which offers funding and training to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as well as by supporting youth summits and digital skills training. These programmes are designed to equip young people with practical skills, foster financial literacy, and drive digital inclusion to help them create jobs and strengthen the economy.

Prof Manu described youth unemployment as a “time bomb” and stressed that the economy was not expanding quickly enough to absorb graduates from junior high schools, senior high schools, and universities. He said too many young people were waiting for employment opportunities rather than developing the drive to create their own. Funding gaps, lack of motivation, and overreliance on salaried work, he noted, were major obstacles to entrepreneurship.

He emphasised the importance of micro enterprises, which he said collectively employ more people than larger corporations, yet often struggle to survive. Prof Manu urged stakeholders to build systems that support these enterprises, while advising the youth to work hard, remain honest, and take pride in their craft. “Take pride in your work, that is what will make you successful,” he stated.