4 Ghanaians named among Forty Under 40 Africa African entrepreneurs
Four Ghanaians were among 40 individuals honoured at this year’s Forty under 40 Africa Awards, a continental platform dedicated to recognising and celebrating exceptional young African leaders.
They included the Executive Director in charge of Markets at Saha Reinsurance, Mubarik Ibrahim, who won the award for the Insurance Category, with Dromeryda Agyapong of Turk Stones Limited, winning the People’s Choice Award (Female Category).
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nyonyo Essentials Ltd, Chichi Yakubu, also won the award for the Food, Beverage and Catering Category, while the Founder and CEO of Arttricks Ghana Ltd, Patrick William Dodoo, picked up the award for the Theatre and Arts Category.
Ultimate winner
A young entrepreneur from South Africa, Paula Tabirih-Khoali, emerged as the ultimate winner of the Forty Under 40 award, which recognises and celebrates young Africans driving innovation.
Ms Tabirih-Khoali is a Pan-African entrepreneur, agribusiness marketer and export strategist who is reshaping how African agricultural products reach global premium markets.
Her company is dedicated to sourcing produce from smallholder farmers and micro-producers across Africa.
Ms Tabirih-Khoali’s work focuses on finding markets for exports to the European Union (EU), the Middle East, and Asia, dealing primarily in meat, fish, honey, coffee, fruits and nuts.
She received a 22-karat gold-plated medal for winning the award at the ceremony held in Accra last Saturday night.
Ghanaians
The individuals were also rewarded for building sustainable businesses and contributing meaningfully to economic and social development across the continent.
Up to 35 other individuals from across the continent were also honoured for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and community service.
The awardees, all of whom were below the age of 40, were drawn from a wide range of sectors, including aviation, agribusiness, academia, oil and gas, fashion, media, and law.
Their applications were part of over 150 entries received from the Adjudication Committee of the awards scheme, which commenced five years ago.
Prior to the awards ceremony, those shortlisted participated in a series of events in the course of the week, including a Champions Summit, a Valentine Fashion Show and an exhibition showcasing Ghanaian craftsmanship to the continent.
The Noyaa Mantse (Development Chief) of the Ga State, Nii Kojo Ashifie Papanyira I, chaired the event.
Awards
Founder of the continental awards, Richard Abbey Jnr, explained that this year’s awards featured several initiatives geared towards putting Ghana on the map.
“We believe that in putting the spotlight on these young achievers, it will not only celebrate them but also build a strong platform for them by giving a voice and opportunities to the next generation of industry pacesetters while building a positive attitude in our youth to strive for excellence at a tender age,” he said.
Aside from that, he said, the awards sought to provide a cross-country platform for business partnerships to help the continent thrive.
“We are not only recognising continental icons and accomplished men and women under the age of 40. Partnership, networking and business collaboration are what we are looking for.
“We wanted to set the tone for conversations that transcend boundaries to create opportunities for businesses to thrive,” he said.
Narrative
The Chairman of the Adjudicating Committee, Kris M. Senanu, explained that since the inception of the awards five years ago, the quality of applications had kept improving.
He said it was important for influential people on the continent to move away from narratives that projected Africa as a continent of potential to one of execution.
“May this be something we do continuously because we have to acknowledge the best of the best in Africa.
“Africa must stop being a land of potential to a land of opportunity for us in the present and not in the future,” he added.
Nii Papanyira commended the awardees for their continuous commitment to excellence on the continent.
“You represent the promise and progress of Africa. May these awards inspire even greater achievements for our continent,” he said.
Awardee
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Ms Tabirih-Khoali described the award as more than just a validation, adding, “As an entrepreneur, you sometimes feel like you're not making progress.
This award reassures me that I was right to keep pushing forward. It validates my dreams and stands as proof that 'you can' - both for the black child and women striving to succeed,” she said.
Ms Tabirih-Khoali said it was time for the continent to focus on value addition, adding that “by doing so, we can command higher prices and offer better compensation to our farmers”.
She urged young people interested in venturing into agriculture to invest their time and resources in value addition.
“If you want to see growth in the agri-sector, this is where the future lies," she added.
