Mr Mike Nyinaku, the Chief Executive Officer of the BEIGE Group said entrepreneurship is a way of life and that it is quite difficult to teach it as it is more linked to one’s behaviour, personal experiences and aspirations.

“If you are not naturally disposed to exhibit those traits and are also not compelled by your environment to demonstrate them then it would be difficult to portray that character,” he added.

Mr Nyinaku was speaking at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, in a panel discussion organised by the Association of African Universities (AAU) on the theme: “Entrepreneurial Learning and Communities of Practice.”

Mr Nyinaku, who is also the entrepreneur of the year said opportunities existed but one had to be very determined and focus to be able to take advantage of the plethora of opportunities that surround us.

Sharing his thoughts on whether the universities are providing knowledge that is enough to produce entrepreneurs, he said: “What you gain as you graduate from school is knowledge. It’s powerful but limited. Unless combined with practicable application of your knowledge, it cannot turn into skill.”

Speaking on what most organisations look out for in employing graduates, Mr Nyinaku hinted that values were essential in everything that one did and that as a people, “we need to show positive values and ethics such as honesty, diligence, integrity, hardwork among others”.

He expressed the need to inculcate in people more positive values and attitudes to have more productive people in the work places who were not necessarily entrepreneurs but entrepreneurial within a quality entrepreneurial environment.

AAU represents the voice of higher education in Africa and works as the apex organisation and forum for consultation, exchange of information and co-operation among institutions of Higher Education in Africa.

It is based in Accra and has a current membership of more than 380 Higher Education Institutions.