Ghanaian entrepreneurs have been urged to look beyond simply registering businesses and focus on building sustainable enterprises anchored on hard work, dedication, commitment and integrity.
The Regional Consultant for IGNITE Social Enterprise Limited for Sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana, Mr Paul Elikem Dovi, said entrepreneurs needed to take advantage of digital platforms and emerging opportunities to build businesses capable of surviving changing economic conditions and competing on the global market.
He said this in Accra on Thursday at the UPSA-1000 and Ghana Entrepreneurship Conference 2026, where he spoke on the theme: ‘The Architecture of Lasting Enterprise.’
Mr Dovi said Ghana needed enterprises built on strong foundations and values rather than merely increasing the number of registered businesses.
“Ghana does not merely need more registered enterprises; our nation needs enterprises built on solid ground, led by men and women of uncompromising values,” he said.
He identified hard work, dedication, commitment and doing the right thing as essential foundations for building lasting enterprises, stressing that entrepreneurs must remain committed to their vision even after the initial excitement surrounding a new venture had faded.
Mr Dovi said integrity was particularly important in business and cautioned entrepreneurs against taking shortcuts that could undermine customer trust and their reputation.
“Deliver genuine value. Treat people fairly. Protect your reputation, because trust is the hardest currency to regain once lost,” he said.
He further encouraged entrepreneurs to take advantage of digital commerce, saying e-commerce and digital retail had created new opportunities for young people to participate in business beyond geographical boundaries.
Mr Dovi said IGNITE’s business model was based on e-commerce and direct selling, allowing individuals to register as brand affiliates, market products and earn commissions from sales.
He stressed that it was product-based and not an employment scheme, adding that new affiliates would receive coaching and training before marketing the products.
He said the company, which he described as about six months old and headquartered in Hong Kong, was seeking to establish a presence in Ghana while creating opportunities for locally manufactured Ghanaian products to reach international markets.
Mr Dovi said IGNITE was interested in working with Ghanaian producers and incorporating locally manufactured products into its international network to give such products greater visibility and access to consumers beyond Ghana.
He said the initiative was intended to help Ghanaian businesses move beyond the local market and use digital platforms to promote their products internationally.
“We don’t want to only bring products from outside into Ghana. We also want to take Ghanaian products to the global market,” he said.
He urged graduates and young people not to regard their certificates as their only pathway to economic success, but to combine their education with entrepreneurship and practical skills.
The Paramount Chief of the Atebubu Traditional Area, Ohempon Dr Yeboah Asiamah, also urged young entrepreneurs to identify everyday problems in their communities and turn them into viable business opportunities.
Speaking on “1000 Dreams, One Ghana, Turning Ambition into Enterprise,” he said entrepreneurs must observe, listen and ask questions to understand people’s needs before developing solutions.
He also encouraged them to take considered risks and test their ideas on a small scale before committing substantial resources.
Mr Dovi encouraged the UPSA-1000 cohort to embrace available opportunities and approach entrepreneurship with discipline, commitment and integrity.
BY JESSIE PRINCESS DUAH and PERPETUAL MENSAH
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