Blossom Academy Founder calls for shift from aid to agency at Tufts University conference

The Founder of Blossom Academy, Jeph Acheampong, has made a call for African-led development driven by skills, opportunity, and economic inclusion—not aid—during a panel discussion at the Africana Conference hosted by Tufts University’s Fletcher School in the United States.

Speaking under the theme “Changing the Lens: Redefining African Agency”, Acheampong joined a panel of African entrepreneurs and leaders to reframe the continent’s development narrative and challenge systems that restrict youth potential.

“We don’t measure success by how many students graduate. We measure it by how many secure sustainable careers,” Acheampong told participants, noting that Blossom Academy has maintained an 85 per cent career placement rate. “Real impact means economic inclusion.”

Acheampong’s intervention focused on the critical importance of connecting digital training to paid work. Blossom Academy, a Ghana-based social enterprise, equips young Africans with market-relevant digital skills while forging direct partnerships with companies to facilitate internships and full-time roles.

But training alone, he argued, is not enough. “Every year, 12 million young Africans enter the workforce, but only 3 million find jobs,” he said. “We keep talking about the skills gap. But the real issue is the jobs gap. Are we creating enough opportunities? That’s what African agency must tackle.”

Acheampong advocated for a continent-wide push to develop a digitally fluent workforce equipped not just for coding, but also for emerging tech fields. “Africa doesn’t just need coders. It needs AI product managers, digital designers, and system thinkers,” he stated.

His views were echoed by fellow panelist Johnson Arkaah, Regional Lead at Global Vodafone Business Technology & Solutions – America and International, who added, “If you want to lead, you have to create leaders.”

The panel collectively agreed that African agency should not be treated as a philosophical ideal but embraced as a practical, actionable framework to empower the continent’s youth and economies.

Acheampong closed his remarks with a firm message for African entrepreneurs navigating partnerships with government, donors, and investors: “Be bold about your vision, but flexible in execution. Anchor every decision in purpose. If a funder asks you to chase vanity metrics, walk away.”

He also pressed for policy reforms that connect education directly to employment. “We need policies that bridge learning with earning,” he said, advocating for tax incentives such as reduced corporate income tax and VAT exemptions to encourage youth hiring.

Citing India’s IT boom as an example, he proposed a similar approach for Ghana. “Ghana’s free zones already exist, but there’s untapped potential to expand them into digital outsourcing hubs with targeted incentives. That’s how we compete globally.”

Acheampong’s comments come at a pivotal moment, as African nations face mounting pressure to respond to the demographic challenge of youth unemployment with structural reforms that foster inclusive growth.

For Blossom Academy, he said, African agency is not just about empowerment—it’s about ownership, authorship, and long-term sustainability. “The future of Africa will be written by those who dare to invest in its potential—and build the systems to sustain it.”