UG students develop apps to solve societal problems
Some students at the University of Ghana have develop Applications and technologies to create employment through the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) Innovation and Incubation Hub (UGBS Nest).
The students, having identified gaps within sectors of the economy, produced the innovations (apps, technologies) to help bridge the gap between industry and academia and to solve societal problems.
Pitching their ideas and innovations in a competition dubbed: “Innovation for African Universities Connecting Accra Project,” before a panel of judges at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), the students in groups of six, explained with presentations how their technologies could create employments and solve problems.
The project was under tutelage of the Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID), University of Ghana in collaboration with the Imperial College London (ICL), and Impact Hub Accra.
It aimed at promoting enterprise skills development to address the disconnect between key stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Accra.
The project successfully onboarded 17 student entrepreneurial ventures after they (students) were thoroughly trained over a period of two months on business development, venture financing, business model validation, advance strategies and investment readiness.
The groups were: CARTAgro, Agrimecarb, Fihankra Comtech LLC, Feathery Care, SteFarms and Mam Ne Fo.
Out of the groups, Feathery care, which pitched an idea to reduce chicks’ mortality rate to as close to zero during the breeding stage, emerged as the winners of the competition.
Apidio Date’ Tossou, a member of the Feathery Care group, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said: “Though we went through some challenges we never lost hope and the efforts and sacrifices are worth it.”
He said they were overwhelmed at a point and thought it was impossible but later realised that their idea was very innovative, and it could push through the market faster than any of their competitors.
Mr. Ernest Akwasi Appiah, Managing Director of Agricultural Manufacturing Group Limited (AMG), said, helping students to become entrepreneurs remained important to him and his team at AMG and was the reason they sponsored the development of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) Innovation and Incubation Hub (UGBS Nest).
“I have seen many young people not achieving their potential based on fear, intimidation and lack of required resources thereby conforming to the status quo and initiatives like this can help create a vibrant atmosphere and platform for student entrepreneurs to attract the needed resources,” he said.
Mr. Chikodi Onyemerela, the Acting Country Director of the British Council, said the Council would fund the project.
Source: GNA