UG Business School lifts Business Sense Challenge trophy

The University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) became the first school in the Greater Accra Region to win the Graphic Business Tertiary Business Sense Challenge (TBSC), with a score of 86.8 points.

The premier business school beat the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), which placed second with 73.5 points, and the defending champions, the University of Education Winneba (UEW) which placed third with 72.5 points.

In an enthralling encounter in Accra yesterday at the GNAT Hall, packed with representatives of the three schools, sponsors and other dignitaries, the Legon-based business school put its feet on the pedal early in the competition and never took them off.

UGBS won the first round, which is based on theory, with a score of 13, against  seven points for KNUST and five for UEW, as Peter Emeka Ike, Edwin Entsiey, Jonathan Nii Nai Sowah and Prince Ascod Bordoh stayed composed under enormous pressure from their challengers to pull away in the third and fourth rounds to win the sixth edition of the competition.

Not even the seeming huge upset in the fifth round which was based on business riddles which KNUST dominated could stop UGBS from winning its first trophy.

For their reward, each student of UGBS received a gold medal, a giant trophy, a life insurance cover of GH¢20,000, a laptop and souvenirs from the sponsors.

Other rewards

UGBS also went home with a trophy for being the South East Zonal champions, while KNUST took a trophy for emerging the Middle Zone champions, with UEW also bagging one for being the South West Zone champions.

The audience at the Tertiary Business Sense Challenge grand finale. Picture: CALEB VANDERPUYE

Other consolation prizes included GH¢1,000, GH¢1,500 and GH¢2,500 fuel coupons to UEW, KNUST and UGBS respectively, sponsored by, GOIL Ghana.

Contest

With supporters of the three schools cheering the contestants on, emotions ran high in the charged atmosphere as favourites, UEW, struggled in the first two rounds.

Second favourites KNUST also failed to shine in the initial rounds as UGBS seized the opportunity to prove why they were the leading business school with the highest number of alumni in the corporate and other fields.

There was no turning back for the Legon team as they steered their business ship to victory.

However, it was not without challenges and stiff competition from rivals, UEW and KNUST, especiallyt so in the fourth and five rounds of the competition when KNUST finally woke up from their slumber.

But it was too late as the star of the show and most outstanding student of this year's contest, Peter Emeka Ike, answered the sixth riddle in the eight-riddle section of the fifth round to settle matters between the three.

Jubilant supporters of UGBS shouted in ecstasy at the end of the final riddle even before the quizmaster could declare the scores.

Solving challenges

Speaking on this year's theme: ''Promoting a holistic business mindset for sustainable entrepreneurship and financial independence", the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd, Ato Afful, said the quiz was to build the potential of contestants and business students in the country to solve pressing challenges, using innovation and becoming good entrepreneurs and creators.

He charged the students to use the opportunity to form partnerships which will engender the creation of business ideas for the benefit of society.

Mr Afful expressed gratitude to the quizmaster, Alhassan Trawule, and the technical team for marshalling this competition for the entire four months.

He also thanked the sponsors for their support and appealed to them to continue to offer their support.

The competition was sponsored by MTN Ghana, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), GLICO Group, Compu Ghana, GOIL PLC, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and supported by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).