In its continued commitment to youth empowerment through information communication technology, telecom operator, AirtelTigo hosted 40 young aspiring entrepreneurs from Junior Achievement (JA) Ghana to give them practical experience on how technology can help them to contribute positively to their communities.

The visit to the company’s headquarters in Accra by the young aspiring entrepreneurs, drawn from various universities across the country, was part of a five-day Start-Up Academy programme organised by JA Ghana in partnership with Aiducation International and Swiss Re Foundation.

During the visit, the young entrepreneurs interacted with the Business to Business (B2B), Commercial and Human Resources teams on topics including product development, go-to-market strategies, technologies that enable start-ups and HR policies.

They also toured the company’s ultra-modern Data Centre, which houses network infrastructure and stores data for other companies.

Speaking to the budding entrepreneurs, the Chief Executive Officer of AirtelTigo Mrs. Mitwa Kaemba Ng’ambi said the visit was as part of its commitment to partner with organisations such as JA Ghana to develop future leaders for the country’s development through information communication technology.

She shared some character traits that have helped her grow as a leader such as; having a clear vision and purpose to ensure clarity in the direction they want to go; investing time in reading and developing oneself and being passionate about the goals one is pursuing.

She asked them to develop these habits if they desire to succeed in life as leaders of tomorrow. She also challenged the young people on the need for Ghana and Africa to have more homegrown businesses. She advised the young entrepreneurs to focus on developing people as that will help them achieve better business results.

Sharing their experiences on the visit, Patrick Donkor, a student of University of Cape Coast, said: “This visit has helped me to understand how product are conceived from an idea to when it is eventually brought up in the market. So, as a budding entrepreneur, when I have an idea I don’t have to just start implementing, I have to take it through a series of tests which will let me be sure whether the idea I am putting out there will meet the needs of the target audience.”

Junior Achievement (JA) Ghana is a nonprofit organization under the JA Africa & Worldwide network, dedicated to empowering young people to own their economic success by enhancing the relevance of education.

JA’s unique, experiential programmes focus on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy and encourage young people to experience the realities of work and life in the 21st century.

JA bridges the gap between classroom learning and the realities of life and work today by helping young people apply learnings innovatively.