Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE), Sherif Ghali has backed calls for an extension of the registration deadline for the Adwumawura Programme, citing widespread accessibility issues and low public awareness.
Speaking on Happy 98.9FM’s Happy Morning Show with host Kwadwo Sefah-Danquah, Ghali noted that several eligible applicants he engaged with faced difficulties right from the beginning of the registration process. He said the system failed to handle the traffic of hopeful young entrepreneurs trying to apply.
“Even NEIP attested to the fact that there are issues with the registration portal and it is not their fault—it is a technical issue. We do not have the infrastructure to host a large number of applicants at a go,” Ghali explained, referencing earlier discussions with the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP).
Although NEIP directed applicants facing challenges to visit nearby Youth Employment Agency (YEA) offices for assistance, Ghali argued that not everyone has the time or resources to make that trip. “Not many may have the luxury of time or enough resources to facilitate that journey to the YEA office,” he said.
The Adwumawura Programme, launched under NEIP’s youth entrepreneurship agenda, is seen as a major step toward empowering startups and small businesses led by young Ghanaians. But GCYE warns that if these technical and communication issues are not addressed—and the deadline not extended—the programme risks excluding the very people it seeks to support.
