DIPPER Lab joins British Council dialogue on scaling youth enterprises in Ghana

DIPPER Lab, KNUST joined a research dissemination and stakeholder dialogue convened by the British Council under the Tracking Youth-Led Enterprises (TYLE) initiative, contributing to discussions on how youth-led businesses in Ghana can transition from incubation to sustainable growth.

The event, themed “From Incubation to Scale: Strengthening Youth-Led Enterprise Growth in Ghana through Ecosystem and UK-Ghana Partnerships,” brought together policymakers, researchers and innovation actors to examine findings from a British Council-supported study and identify pathways for strengthening enterprise development.

The study, commissioned through the Innovation for African Universities (IAU) programme, draws on evidence from 47 youth-led enterprises supported under its interventions.

Prof. George Acheampong Project Director of UGBS NEST, led the presentation of the research findings and highlighted persistent challenges affecting businesses beyond the incubation stage, including access to finance, market linkages and broader ecosystem constraints.

 Speaking at the event, Mr. Nii Doodo, British Council Country Director stressed the need for a shift in approach to supporting youth-led enterprises.

“We can’t continue to do the same things and expect different outcomes. The results we are getting now are exactly what we will continue to get if we don’t change how we support young businesses,” he said.

He noted that the business environment remains highly competitive, requiring youth-led enterprises to compete on equal footing.

 Afia Yeboah Agyeman, Project Manager, Higher Education at the British Council, emphasised the importance of collaboration across sectors.

“No single organisation can address these challenges alone. It requires coordinated efforts from government, academia, the private sector and development partners, with more intentional support through funding, training, mentorship and policy.”

Representing DIPPER Lab at the engagement were the Scientific Director, Prof. Eric Tutu Tchao; Climate and Ecosystem Monitoring Lead, Dr. Enoch Bessah; Deputy Scientific Director, Dr. Andrew Selasi Agbemenu; and Child Health and Innovation Lead, Dr. Prince Odame.

Discussions focused on validating the research findings with key stakeholders, identifying practical next steps for programme and policy action, and strengthening collaboration between academia, industry and government.

Participants also explored opportunities for enhanced UK-Ghana partnerships in innovation and enterprise development, with an emphasis on translating research into scalable, impact-driven solutions.

The British Council through the Going Global Partnerships Grant under the IAU-funded projects, currently supports seven of DIPPER Labs research led innovations.

The engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Ghana’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and support the growth of youth-led enterprises.