DKM wins 1st sunyani entrepreneur award

Innovation Laboratory (Innovation Lab), a business assessment network within the Economics and Business Administration (EBA), one of the faculties of the Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG), Fiapre has awarded the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DKM Diamond Microfinance Limited, Mr. Delle K. Martin as the best entrepreneur of the year 2014 in Sunyani Municipality. The award forms part of the activities marking the first B/A excellence golden award.

It was aimed at appreciating efforts of all corporate institutions operating within the Sunyani Municipality. The award also looked at the impressive rate at which corporate institutions have been honouring their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR), measures put in place to satisfy their target (clients) and their relationship with the business community as well as how they carry out their duties in accordance with approved regulations from regulatory bodies.

Accordingly, Mr. Edward Twum Anane, coordinator of Innovation Lab who made the presentation on behalf of Innovation Lab explained that they made use of secondary source of information as well as underground checks devoid of discrimination. Mr. Anane opined that the award is meant to encourage creativity, entrepreneurship and social impact. He further pointed out that the social network, in its quest to consider the effective operations of corporate bodies within the Municipality involved all registered companies through coding and monitoring.

“Per the barometer used, DKM Diamond Microfinance Limited had the highest score, hence, considering it as the best entrepreneur sector within the Sunyani Municipality from January, 2014 to August, 2014”, he added.

The coordinator commended DKM Diamond Microfinance Limited for recognizing the social needs of residents within Sunyani and her surrounding communities, adding that the contribution of DKM Diamond Microfinance Limited towards the domestic economy cannot be underestimated. He mentioned the sunyani prison, orphanages, brilliant but needy students and schools as areas that have benefitted from the company’s CSR package.

Mr. Delle, who received the award on behalf of DKM Diamond Microfinance Limited commended Innovation Lab for recognizing the company’s effort and pledged to manage customers’ deposits diligently. “Even though most Ghanaians have problem doing business with Microfinance institutions, it is now a challenge for DKM Diamond Microfinance Limited to prove skeptics wrong”, he stressed.

Accordingly, the CEO revealed that since April 2013, DKM Diamond Microfinance has employed over one hundred and fifty (150) graduates. This he said is one of the surest ways of reducing graduate unemployment in the country. He passionately appealed to corporate institutions in the country, particularly those operating in Sunyani Municipality to endeavour to create enough employment avenues for the youth. He took the opportunity to advice graduates to desist from joining Unemployed Graduates Association of Ghana (UGAG) and instead try to start something on their own.

He disclosed that the problem of unemployment in Ghana among graduates from the public and private universities and other tertiary institutions has reached a breaking point hence the need for the private sector to intervene because the effort of the central government alone is not enough to overcome the social canker.

Aspect A, ENCOM Hotel, Ghana Nuts and WAF Agro Chemicals all in Techiman Municipality were also given separate awards by Innovation Lad.

Picture: Right is the CEO of DKM diamond microfinance limited receiving the award from Mr. Anane (left), coordinator, innovation lab.