StartUp Cup Unveils International Experts for Maiden Africa Summit in Ghana.

Back in July 2015, during the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, United States President, Mr. Barrack Obama, promised the establishment of entrepreneurial centres to empower women in the society. This was a topic that he was really keen on during the summit and is quoted saying:

“Women are powerhouse entrepreneurs. The research shows that when women entrepreneurs succeed, they drive economic growth and invest more back into their families and communities”

His message was an announcement of the  new WECREATE Centres (Women Entrepreneurial Center of Resources, Education, Access, and Training for Economic Empowerment), a physical entrepreneurial community center that can be replicated in any community. This project, the first of StartUp Cup’s major endeavours on the African continent, is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (EB) and StartUp Cup. Kenya is the second one to be opened in Africa. The other centre is at Zambia and another to be opened in Mali in the next coming months. A couple of others have been set up in Pakistan and Cambodia. Over the course of time, more centres will be opened up throughout the African continent.

In due regards to the need to promote entrepreneurship and businesses in order to create a sustained continent, many organisations are making commendable efforts, but StartUp Cup hopes to achieve even more to ensure that each individual is empowered to create jobs and provide sustained living through the Africa StartUp Cup, commented Sean Griffin, CEO  Founder of StartUp Cup. StartUp Cup’s Africa regional presence is poised to ensure this, as well as create an open environment for entrepreneurs to not only strive within the continent but to also have a great impact on the lives of others.

The Africa StartUp Cup is another great effort by StartUp Cup and the U.S. Department of State to bridge this gap of educating and providing important tools to entrepreneurs in Africa and the world at large. “In the wake of the rising inflation, high costs of doing business, shortage of funding opportunities, among other challenges that entrepreneurs face in modern times, it is only right that we lead entrepreneurs to overcome such challenges” said Emmanuel Nyame, President & Regional Director for Africa StartUp Cup.

The Africa StartUp Cup summit is an extraordinary event designed to showcase and celebrate entrepreneurs and is expected to host over five hundred (500) delegates from every conceivable industry, and in the process shine a global light on the power of Africa’s entrepreneurs and startups to improve lives. The event, which takes place on April 29, includes a line-up of key experts with the know-how of entrepreneurship development in Africa. In addition to the summit on Africa’s progress in business, there would also be pitches from selected winners from across Africa, as well as a great deal of networking with investors, business leaders, governments, and the elite in Africa’s growth agenda.

Some of the confirmed speakers for the summit include Sean Griffin, CEO & Founder of StartUp Cup World (Washington DC) , Diana Ofwona, West & Central  Africa Regional Director of UN Women, Neal Hansch, Managing Director of MEST (Ghana) , Albert Biga, CEO of Zooba Shop (Ghana) , Neeraj Gala, Product & Innovations Director of Bharti Airtel Africa (Kenya Head Quarters) , Ethel Cofie, Founder & CEO  of Women in Tech Africa (Ghana) , Eric Kinoti, CEO of Shade Systems EA (Kenya and Eastern Africa), Lukonga Lindunda, CEO of BongoHive (Zambia), Vuyisa Qabaka, CEO of Entrepreneur Traction (South Africa), Zineb Rharrasse, Founder of StartUp Maroc (Morocco), Ahmed Maawy, Founder of Swahilibox(Kenya). 

The summit is open to the public - To acquire your pass for this summit, either to participate or exhibit your products to a wider audience kindly visit the Africa StartUp Cup Page. The program also includes a VIP Cocktail with investors, governments, and selected dignitaries, to help boost networking and promote more conversations about Africa’s next level in entrepreneurship.

ACCIDENT ALARM! CIRCLE-SHALOM STRETCH.

There is dark cloud hanging the necks of commuters plying the road from Circle to Shalom-Shalom in Korle-gonno; a suburb of Accra. The approximately 10km journey between this distance can be described as one of the deadliest. For one to patronize those 1970-80 outmoded Benz long buses means “suicide”. This I would say, mincing no words.

Permit my words; drivers working within this span display a high-sense of “stupidity”, “buffoonery” and “heartlessness” and I have no regrets saying this. I don’t know whether to describe them as the mere “descendants of the enemy of destruction”. But for all I have known, they only collect fares, load their “dirty-rusty-old-fashioned” buses and set off. They have no sense of responsibility; all they care is to stop at any point they find a passenger without minding how close the next car is.

What hits more into the wound is when they play “tsatsa” with the lives of innocent commuters. These “mad” drivers play the “death racing” game of over-taking each other. The drivers sit so stern to the stirring; ignoring the fact that they are conveying humans and not crops. You would see their conductors, popularly referred as “mates” show off their “multi-coloured” teeth long as “tin-cutters” and laugh as they look on how their masters (drivers) over-take the others.

Entering the vehicle is the most important thing; how you find a sit to perch becomes your own struggle. Though it’s breathtaking; I personally keep it close because I’m a young energetic man who can sit easily. Shockingly, they don’t spare the aged this wickedness. The oldies would be seen hitting themselves against the seats and persons in the vehicle struggling to clutch to a seat.

Sometimes hitting you briskly into pot-hole and skipping sharp rumps without mercy. When passengers begin to lament, they give no ears, instead sit behind the stirring with their big heads as “dummies”. When the screaming is getting out of hand, they reply with insults and threats.

The situation is getting out of hand and if authorities fail to act, government would not cease loosing resources and wasting gargantuan amounts on accident victims. Meanwhile, a statement from the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has proven that, statistically; four people die every day as a result of road crash. Estimates also show that; Ghana loses over 230 million dollars yearly due to road accidents with more than 1,600 deaths. The loss correlates to 1.7% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Further information gathered by the same commission has revealed that; in 2010 out of all persons affected, occupants of vehicles came first. This is clear indication that; most accidents are occurring as a result of negligence and careless driving. The result is as follows: Fatalities of pedestrians – 43%, Occupants of vehicles – 53% and Children below 16 years consisted 23%. 

The report concluded that; 60% of the total road accidents were caused by speeding. 

 I am hereby calling on the Ministry responsible for Roads and Transport, the National Road Safety Commission, the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Police Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana National Association of Garages, registered motor vehicle and manufacturing companies, private road transport providers, the National Insurance Commission, registered driver training schools, and all other sundries to use all efforts to counteract this diabolic canker.

Aluta continua………………………………………………….