With bright weather and a serene environment, not only was the auditorium of the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation (GILBT), Tamale colorful but the fragrance of varying perfumes that filled the room was also something to behold. GILBT was the chosen location for the Final Business Idea Pitching for the 16 finalists who made it through the first pitching of the Bridge Building Project (BBP).
The Bridge Building Project (BBP) is a US Embassy, Ghana sponsored project that aims to build the capacity of about 80 students and 8 coordinators from Eight (8) tertiary institutions within four regions of the Northern Ghana. “The overall development objective of BBP is to enhance a smooth transition for young people from being a student to an employer/employee by promoting Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E) and creating the necessary matchmaking and linkages for subsequent youth employment and start-ups in demand in Northern Ghana.”
Participating schools in the project include the University for Development Studies (UDS) Tamale & Nyankpala Campuses, Tamale Technical University (TaTU), CK Tedam University of Technology & Applied Science (CKT-UTAS) Navrongo, Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU), Pong-Tamale Animal Health & Production College (AHPC), Damongo Agric College (DAC), and the S.D. Dombo University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) in Wa.
Thursday, July 22nd was the day for the staff of Civil Society & Institutional Foundation, to affirm their longstanding event management excellence as this day opens a new chapter in the life of 10 students who will each be awarded a sum of US1000 dollars to advance their business idea. For the five-panel judges, it was a moment to showcase their expertise, demonstrate fairness and also assume the position of ‘destiny changers’ in the life of these upcoming business moguls. However, for the 16 finalists, it was likened to a ‘day of reckoning’ where they needed to account for the investment which CSIF through the US Embassy Accra, Ghana has made on them since September 2020. Adjunct to this, they were also required to convince the jury why their business idea needed to transmogrify to enter the ‘New Jerusalem.’
After an opening statement from Madam Nadia Ali, the Program Manager of CSIF a message in the form of a video clip from Madam Virginia Elliott, the Public Affairs Counselor of the US Embassy Ghana was played to help counsel, cool and calm the tension that was terrorizing some finalists.
Just after tensions have been calmed down, the esteemed jury unlike any other assessment read out the information contained in their marking scheme to the finalists before calling for start work. The event which was scheduled to commence at 9:00 AM was brought to closure at around 4:300 PM with the undermentioned names as the winners of the cash prize;
NAME | BUSINESS NAME | SCHOOL |
ALHASSAN RASHID | HIJAB PRODUCTION | TaTU |
VINCENT MBABILA ABALA | TAILOR BOI COLLECTION | TaTU |
AKAN-ESIGE A. WISDOM | WISDOM GUINEA FOWL FARMS | DAC |
SALIFU MEMUNATU | HELPI PICTORY | UDS-TLC |
OSEI DUAH EMMANUEL & SARPONG PETER | EPHRATHA FOODS GH. LTD. | UDS-NYC |
CHRISTIAN OTOO | EAZI-GO DELIVERY SERVICE | CKT-UTAS |
YEDANA ISAIAH SIMLI | EDEN FARMS LTD. | AHPC |
ABUBAKARI SULEMANA | BEST TRENDS FASHION DESIGN | TaTU |
BUGAYIRE SOPHIA & BENNI LAZARUS | SOPHBEN BREWEREY | AHPC |
MARTHA ANINGANIGU | ZOE BLISS WEAVES & COLLECTION | TaTU |
TaTU – Tamale Technical University
DAC – Damongo Agricultural College
CKT-UTAS – CK Tedam University of Technology & Applied Science (CKT-UTAS)
AHPC – Pong-Tamale Animal Health & Production College
UDS-TLC – University for Development Studies (UDS) Tamale Campus
UDS-NYC – University for Development Studies (UDS) Nyankpala Campus