President Akufo-Addo presents cheque to a winner
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday presented an amount of GHC1million to this year’s winners of the Presidential Pitch, urging them not to see themselves as only Ghanaian entrepreneurs but strive to go global as well.
“I want you to see yourselves, first of course, as Ghanaian entrepreneurs. But apart from being Ghanaian entrepreneurs, there is a huge world out there which you are also to do your best to conquer. So, you should see yourselves as both Ghanaian entrepreneurs and as global entrepreneurs,” the President stated yesterday when he presented cheques to winners of this year’s Presidential Pitch at Jubilee House, Accra.
The overall winner was originally entitled to GHC70, 000, but the President said he was happy with their innovations and, as promised earlier, added GHC30, 000 to the prize money of the overall winner, bringing it to GHC100, 000.
The first runner-up took home GH¢60,000 while the second runner-up received GH¢50,000 to expand their businesses.
While commending the winners for emerging out of over 600 applicants, President Akufo-Addo said they have the capacity to change the country’s current circumstances through innovation.
“And that is why you have been selected as the Presidential Pitch winners and the whole principle should be innovation, innovation, innovation,” he said.
Covid-19
According to the President, Ghanaians are witnesses to the negative impact of the Covid-19 on businesses globally, adding, however, that the world would find a way to come out of it.
“And when we come out of it, its going to be the stage for you. And it is the quality of your ideas, your drive, your dynamism that is going to determine the world after Covid, and it has to be strong because there is going to be a lot to do,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He reiterated that the country has an opportunity to continue on the path he has been advocating since he assumed office, which is the Ghana Beyond Aid.
“The Covid pandemic has demonstrated that when you are over-reliant on the global supply chain, when something like that happens, you are truly exposed. When China closed, all markets across Ghana folded up. Within days, our women were no longer able to go to China to bring things to the market,” he pointed out.
“We can’t afford to have that happen again. We have now to do things for ourselves and therefore you who are driving new ideas become that much more important and significant for us,” he added.
He assured the winners that his government will create the environment for them to give the best opportunity, through the maintenance of micro economic stability, “and give you the best possible conditions to be able to operate and succeed.”
