Orange Corners Ghana, an initiative of the Netherlands, celebrated the graduation of 73 youth-led businesses at the residence of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands, with support from Ghanaian Corporate Partners, continues to provide access to finance and support Ghanaian youth-led businesses through the Orange Corners Ghana Initiative.

The initiative provides access to EUR 50,000.00 from the Orange Corners Innovation Fund for business growth.

The initiative aims to provide exceptional youth-led businesses with the financial resources and elevated Entrepreneurial capacity necessary to scale their businesses and continue their path to success.

The graduation event held on Thursday March 7, is the 8th Cohort of the programme since its inception in 2019.

The event served as a platform to showcase the success stories of Cohort 8 participants, and Alumni.

Inspiring testimonials from graduates highlighted the transformative impact of the programme.

In all, 227 talented young entrepreneurs were supported and 55 percent of them were women-led.

Programme partners

(MDF West Africa, Fidelity Bank, Vivo Energy, Koudijs, People’s Pension Trust, MPS Tema Port, Friesland Campina, and Cargill Ghana) and guest speakers commended Orange Corners Ghana’s dedication to fostering entrepreneurial talent in Ghana.

They emphasised the programme’s important role in driving economic development and fostering the growth of innovative in Ghanaian businesses.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana, H.E. Mr. Jeroen Verheul, extended warm congratulations to the Cohort 8 graduates during the ceremony.

He acknowledged their perseverance and the successful completion of the programme.

He also took a moment to recognise the remarkable achievements of the Orange Corners Ghana Acceleration Programme itself.

The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the programme’s partners, highlighting their continued support as crucial to the programme’s success.

Through its multi-faceted approach of mentorship, workshops, networking opportunities, and access to finance, the programme equips young entrepreneurs with the tools and resilience needed to not only navigate challenges but also emerge as trailblazers and change-makers in their respective industries.

Mr. Richard Yeboah, Director – MDF Global, used the opportunity to express his gratitude to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

He recounted the programme’s journey, which began in 2019 with a pilot cohort of 30 companies. Since then, it has provided support to over 800 aspiring entrepreneurs across Ghana.

Mr. Yeboah highlighted the increasing number of applications received, which ultimately led to the programme’s expansion from Accra to Ho, Tamale, Kumasi and Takoradi.

He also emphasised the programme’s unique focus on supporting companies through the formalisation process, ensuring they operate within a sustainable framework.

The decision to expand beyond Accra, as Mr Yeboah pointed out, proved to be a success, fostering the growth of talented entrepreneurs across the country and ensuring a wider reach for Orange Corners Ghana’s impactful offerings.

In a related development, Orange Corners Ghana welcomed Growth Africa after a pivotal announcement which saw the handing over of the reins from MDF West Africa to Growth Africa.

This transition marks a new chapter for Orange Corners Ghana, ensuring the programme’s continued impact for the next five years.

With enthusiasm, the ceremony announced the launch of a new Cohort and invited applications from businesses in the Cocoa and Horticulture sectors looking to scale.

This signifies Orange Corners Ghana’s commitment to empowering young Ghanaians.

Those driven to join the dynamic community of Orange Corners Ghana entrepreneurs were encouraged to visit the programme’s website or explore its social media pages.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme