PRESS RELEASE
4th March 2022: Ghana Hubs Network with support from Make-IT in Africa, a programme implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Corporation and Development (BMZ) announced its 2022 plan to support innovation Hubs and Startups in Ghana.
The Programme dubbed ‘Digitalization and Hubs Capacity Strengthening Programme’ has been initiated to help strengthen member hubs in its network to improve sustainability of hubs and increase the percentage of successful and investment-ready start-ups in the country.
The programme will be focused on three main areas: Database Development, Hubs Capacity Building and Talent Exchange. A move to bridge the gap in developing digitally enabled systems for data gathering, analysis and evidenced based decision making and enhancing the capacity of innovation hubs to deliver on their business and service models.
Expectedly, the benefits are many-fold which include influencing policy with evidence, increased investments for startups due to consistencies on services, products model deliveries opportunities and support services from a mix of private sector, academia and governmental sectors through technical expertise and funding support from GIZ.
This project will build up on past flagship projects implemented by the network in collaboration with various ecosystem actors. The “25 days of Wow project” in 2019 brought together about 32 hubs for a cross-regional tour to engage entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in co-creating a National Entrepreneurship Policy. This has been followed up with The Hub Resiliency project which helped selected hubs to identify their key competencies & explore models for local business solutions. The programme which was implemented in collaboration with Ashesi University also served as a Covid-19 relief activity for hubs in Ghana.
With so much potential residing with local hubs in communities, the network is implementing the Digitalization and Hubs Capacity Strengthening Programme as a hub centric approach to amplifying the work of its member hubs to achieve higher standards of service delivery.
Ghana Hubs Network consists of innovation hubs in Ghana collaborating to build on shared ideas and resources across Ghana. GHN leverages on extensive and diverse network to provide supportive services to stakeholder community of entrepreneurs, innovation hubs, development partners, and government, facilitating access to cross-cutting skills including digital technologies and technology entrepreneurship in the process. Additionally, GHN engages government and development partners on creating an enabling environment for enhancement of the innovation ecosystem.
About Make-IT in Africa
Make-IT in Africa believes in the catalytic power of African innovation and digital technologies for green and inclusive development. In close collaboration with digital visionaries like start-ups, innovation enablers and political partners, the project empowers African innovation ecosystems. Together, an environment in which the full potential of African digital innovation can unfold is strengthened. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH implements this project on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
