A student-owned start-up, the Sankofa Industries Ghana from the University of Environmental and Sustainable Development (UESD), emerged as the winner at the Enterprise Support and Incubation Curriculum Development (ESICD) Hubs Innovation Grants Final Pitch Competition last Saturday.
The three-member team of Aaron Tawiah Blagodzi, Godson Etsri and Anyame Ansu Benjamin presented an idea to reduce mango waste by processing ripe fruits into mango puree for local and international markets.
They were awarded GH¢15,000 as winners of the pitch competition, while the first runners up, Med Aquafeeds and second runners up, Nhyiraba Ecobites, were awarded GH10,000 and GH¢ 5,000 respectively.
The competition is a British Council project implemented through the Tertiary Hubs for Innovation and Knowledge (THINK) Network.
It aims to support early-stage student ventures, nurture a new generation of entrepreneurs and strengthen Ghana’s innovation landscape.
The event was hosted by the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) and it saw participation from 12 teams of students from various universities presenting their business ideas.
Aspiration
Mr Blagodzi, who spoke on behalf of the winners, described the win as a milestone that would strengthen their confidence and expand their opportunities.
He acknowledged that the recognition would open doors to partnerships for their start-up to gain the necessary reach and make the intended impact.
“We hope this recognition will give us credibility to attract more partnerships and expand our work,” Mr Blagodzi said.
Looking ahead
For his part, the Vice-President of Think Network and Coordinator of the UEW Innovation Hub, Dr Mawuko Dza, confirmed that projects which did not win grants would remain under the supervision of their respective university hubs for refinement and possible future funding.
He explained that while prize money served as motivation, the Hub focused on training, start-up kits and mentorship.
The Dean of the UEW School of Business, Professor Richard Oduro, also explained the importance of the competition to the institution’s broader vision.
