IFC Increases Support for Businesses in Ghana with University Program
In Accra:
Elinda Agyei Akosua
Phone: +233 21 214 654
E-mail: eagyei@ifc.org
In Johannesburg:
Sabrina Hadjadj Aoul
Phone: +27 11 731 3175
E-mail: shadjadjaoul@ifc.org
Accra, Ghana, April 16, 2009─IFC,
a member of the World Bank Group, today launched the Enterprise Development
Services Program, hosted by the University of Ghana Business School. This
program will help the university develop training, business planning and
related services to help small and medium enterprises grow and enhance
their competitiveness.
IFC and the University of Ghana Business
School organized an opening ceremony to launch the Enterprise Development
Services unit today in Accra and discussed the business training needs
of smaller businesses in Africa and how the EDS program will help managers
increase competitiveness and operate within global standards.
Encouraging the growth of smaller businesses
with a combination of investments and advisory services, including training
and guidance, is a major pillar of IFC’s work in Africa.
“Local stakeholders and governments
call upon local African institutions, such as business schools and development
centers, to offer relevant SME management training programs” said Brigid
Amoako, IFC Operations Analyst. “IFC assists local institutions adapt
their curricula and develop pertinent content responding to the challenges
that entrepreneurs operating in the African business environment face.”
After a successful three-year pilot
at the Lagos Business School, the program was replicated in other business
schools in Africa. IFC is simultaneously implementing the program in Kenya,
Rwanda and Tanzania, in addition to the University of Ghana Business School.
The objectives of the program include
capacity building activities for African business school and enterprise
centers on teaching methods in SME management & entrepreneurship, sharing
of Lagos Business School's entrepreneurship center model for training and
disseminating case studies on local entrepreneurs among participating institutions.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group,
creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives.
We foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries by supporting
private sector development, mobilizing private capital, and providing advisory
and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. Our new investments
totaled $16.2 billion in fiscal year 2008, a 34 percent increase over the
previous year. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
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