About 40 self-employed young persons in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region have undergone a two-day intensive training to enhance their ventures' productivity.

The training, designed to equip young individuals with diverse trade backgrounds with entrepreneurial skills also shaped their mindset towards business and innovation.

Additionally, the workshop sought to reshape how these young enterpreneurs view themselves and to enhance their ability to create opportunities for themselves and their communities.

The exercise organized by the National Youth Authority (NYA) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) brought together many young enterpreneurs engaged in various businesses across the district.

The enterpreneurs were also enlightened on the interventions of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which seeks to promote enterpreneurship in Africa by removing trade barriers while accelerating intra-African trade and boosting Africa's trading position in the global market.

Director in Charge of Human Resource at the NYA, Mr. Ekow Eshun in an interview explained that opening the beneficiaries to the AfCFTA would open them up to the available opportunities that come with the Africa intra-trading agreement.

“We are introducing them to AfCFTA to enable them take advantage of its interventions to ensure the progress of their trade by trading beyond the borders of Ghana,” he averred, adding that the beneficiaries are expected to make major marks within the next five years.

According to Mr. Eshun, Hundreds of young enterpreneurs were undergoing similar training across the country to boost their enterpreneruship drive.

Detailing the objectives of the exercise, Mr. Ekow Eshun in an interview with the press asserted: “The goal and aim is to train young people and build their capacity in entrepreneurship…the target is those engaged in their own businesses, most of them are doing well in ventures such as catfish, tilapia, dressmaking, among others.”

The director however bemoaned that despite the relative successes recorded by the self-employed young persons in their respective enterprises, most of them lacked the relevant skills required to make significant progress in their ventures. “They are engaged in the businesses but they lack the knowledge to progress,” he added.

Mr. Eshun expressed optimism that the beneficiaries would put the knowledge acquired to good use by following best practices and those yet to register their businesses do so together with proper branding and expand their businesses beyond the country.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Mr. Pius Enam Hadzide reiterated the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area to the Ghanaian youth, adding that they must not be left out of the gains.

“The NYA and the UNDP reached an agreement to ensure that the Ghanaian youth also benefit from the African Continental Free Trade policy,” he said, adding that the government must not be the only source of employment as the private sector employs the most people.

He encouraged the participants to leverage the training received to reap the maximum benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area and assured them of providing financial support to enhance their businesses.

Mr. Hadzide also underscored his strong desire to create young millionaires in the Asuogyaman area. The CEO who is also the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the area explained that the young wealthy people would facilitate the development and progress of their respective communities. “One of my major plans for you, when I become MP, is to create a critical mass of millionaires in Asuogyaman, these millionaires will drive the developmental agenda of Asuogyaman,” he said to loud cheers from the participants.

He explained that creating a conducive hub for businesses within the area would ensure that massive employment opportunities emerge in Asuogyaman to financially empower the youth.