News
Graduate abandons corporate dream, goes into gari production
• Sharon busily processing some cassava
One advantage that is at the disposal of today’s entrepreneurs is innovation.
The scientific community today has created a platform for innovation especially among young people.
So, the current generation of young men and women who venture into entrepreneurship are making things through technology and innovation.
In the face of the current economic turbulence, there have been calls on government to ban or look into the importation of goods that can be locally produced to improve the market in Ghana.
Interestingly, there are young entrepreneurs already in the system adding value to the locally produced goods and one such inspiring innovator is 32-year old Sharon Ayertey Yomle who is defying all odds at Dodowa to add value to gari.
Sharon grew up at Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region and attended Krobo Girls Senior High School in the Eastern Region where she studied Business and later graduated from the University of Cape Coast with a first degree in Commerce in 2019.
She, like most young Ghanaians, was attracted to securing a corporate job after school though she had a business plan.
Interacting with The Spectator , Sharon intended to start this project during her retirement but she was privileged to join the British Council and Giz Jobs in Africa incubation programme in 2019.
According to her, the idea to start Yomle Foods was born at the programme when one facilitator advised her to start from somewhere.
The advice ignited some passion in her to take that step with the little resources she had.
The first resource at her disposal started her first product, Yommy Gari and it was welcomed on the market.
Subsequently, she added the Soya Gari Mix, Tombrown, Rice Cereal Mix, Ginger Powder and others.
She stated that Yomle Foods sought to be a sustainable food production hub as she planned to give more income to rural farmers and women by engaging their services in producing these products.
This, she said, would give them a livelihood and a market for their farm produce.
Ms Yomle admitted that as a graduate of the just-ended acceleration programme, Orange Corners, organised by the Netherlands Embassy and its partners between March and August this year, it has given her a whole idea of the future direction of Yomle foods in the next five years through the pragmatic steps in place to achieve that.
She explained that as small-scale business, she encountered many funding challenges.
She cited for instance, the prices of raw materials, packaging materials and penetrating the current market with the products to be daunting.
Though faced with these challenges, she is grateful to the Ghana Enterprise Agency for being available and providing entrepreneurial support financial literacy training to young businesses.
She noted that there had been meetings and suggestions in the soya beans value chain and hopes the government would listen to these tabled concerns of those in the value chain and provide the needed solutions to stop the increment in the prices of such products to enable small-scale businesses to stay in business.
Ms Yomle stated that the importation of soya for instance, had been causing a price hike in soya beans so local small businesses like hers and those in soya oil production and other soya based products were forced to use more capital on raw materials but was optimistic about government’s intervention.
From Ken Afedzi, Dodowa
The Ghana Tourism Development Company Limited (GTD) in collaboration with the Department of Organisation and Human Resource Management, University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) has marked the 2026 World Safety Day Celebration in Accra.
The event held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at the Cedi Conference Centre, Legon was under the theme “Good Psychosocial Working Environment: A Pathway to Thriving Workers and Strong Organizations.”
The day is observed globally to promote safe and healthy working conditions and to raise awareness about both physical and psychological risks at the workplace.
The event formed part of efforts by stakeholders to deepen national conversations on workplace safety, particularly the growing concern about psychosocial well being.
In his keynote address, the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Abdul Rashid Hassan Pelpuo stressed that workers must not be treated as machines but as human beings with dignity, rights and families.
He explained that unsafe work environments marked by fear, harassment, intimidation and excessive pressure reduce productivity and weaken organisations.
He noted that although physical hazards such as faulty equipment and unsafe buildings remain a concern, psychological risks including excessive workload, bullying, job insecurity and toxic communication are equally dangerous and must be addressed.
According to him, psychological hazards are real, measurable and preventable, and should be treated with the same urgency as physical risks.
He maintained that safe and healthy working conditions are not a luxury but a fundamental right that supports productivity and social justice.
Dr Pelpuo further stated that the government remains committed to strengthening occupational safety and health systems, adding that worker wellbeing is a core responsibility of leadership and not a public relations issue.
He urged employers to create environments where dignity is protected, and workers are empowered to speak without fear.
The Dean of University of Ghana Business School, Prof Ernest Y Tweneboah Koduah noted that the school is committed to shaping a better world of work that is equitable, productive and sustainable.
He announced that the school has secured accreditation from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to introduce a programme in organisational health and safety.
He explained that gaps in workplace safety in Ghana are linked to weak enforcement, underreporting and limited professional training.
He added that the new programme will equip graduates with the skills to prioritise employee wellbeing as a key organisational responsibility.
Prof Tweneboah Koduah urged organisations to assess psychosocial risks, invest in human resource capacity and create environments where workers can openly discuss mental health concerns.
He emphasised that collaboration between academia and industry is essential to addressing workplace safety challenges.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, the Registrar of the University of Ghana, Emelia Naa Kwantsua Agyei Mensah described the event as historic, noting that it is the first time the university is marking the global observance.
She explained that the focus on psychosocial wellbeing reflects current realities in the world of work.
She stated that employee health, including mental and emotional wellbeing, directly affects productivity, morale and institutional performance.
Mrs Agyei Mensah added that the university is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for staff and students, beyond minimum legal requirements.
She called on leaders to reflect on the kind of workplaces they create and to prioritise the wellbeing of employees.
CEO of the GTDC, Prof Kobby on his part noted that its participation aligns with its commitment under the Riyadh Declaration, which calls on member states to improve infrastructure and public safety, as well as enhance services, transport, connectivity and accessibility.
He indicated that the company intends to use the platform to highlight Ghana’s readiness to implement the declaration, with a strong focus on worker safety and wellbeing as a foundation for sustainable tourism development.
The event brought together policymakers, academics, industry players and students to discuss strategies for improving workplace safety and promoting healthier work environments across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Minister for Energy, John Abdulai Jinapor, has praised engineers and technical teams working to restore electricity after a fire at the Akosombo Substation disrupted power supply.
He said this after visiting the facility on Monday night to assess ongoing repair works following the incident, which affected the control room and caused the loss of more than 1,000 megawatts of power to the national grid.
During the visit, he interacted with engineers and technicians who have been working continuously under difficult conditions to restore operations.
He said he was impressed by their dedication, courage, and professionalism despite the challenges.
The minister commended the teams for their resilience and sacrifice, noting that their efforts reflect a strong sense of duty and commitment to national service.
He assured them of the government’s full support as they continue with the restoration work.
He also assured the public that authorities are doing everything possible to restore stable electricity supply as soon as possible.
By: Jacob Aggrey
