Accra, 21 April GNA - Nana Kwodwo Duah, Chief Executive Officer of OXYGEN, a branding and designing organization who won the maiden International Young Communications Entrepreneur (IYCE) Award, on Tuesday presented his award to the Ghanaian populace in Accra. For his prize Nana Duah took home an emerald glass bowl designed by the acclaimed British glass designer, Gilles Jones, and 7,500 pounds sterling to support his business.

Speaking at the presentation Miss Juliet Amoah, Business Director of the British Council, Ghana, noted the awards ceremony held in London attracted representatives from nine countries where British Council has their outfits.

She said the competition launched in the country last October attracted thousands of young entrepreneurs in the communications field and that Nana Duah was chosen to represent Ghana after a vigorous selection.

She mentioned entrepreneurship, originality of ideas, leadership ability and the ability to network globally especially with the United Kingdom as some of the qualities that motivated the panel's choice of the winner.

The 30-year-old entrepreneur praised the British Council for the competition that culminated in his award as a laudable initiative that sought to reward young practitioners in the communications sector. He cited his presentation on how Ghana could break free from the generic African brand of corruption, wars, poverty and underdevelopment to become a more viable economic country interspersed with rich cultural values as his main reason for clinching the topmost award. "I sincerely believe that a good national identity can profoundly shape the economic, the beliefs and the political destiny of a country hence my choice of presentation", he added. He expressed his gratitude to Ms Esther Cobbah, the Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Communications Africa, an event management organization, for sharpening his communications skills prior to his departure for London.

Mr. Tony Dadzie, Chief Executive Officer of iBURST Africa, an internet service providing firm, expressed his outfit's delight in partnering the British Council to undertake the venture and appealed to Nana Duah to work harder in his career for more laurels.