Meet The Man Behind Ghana's Youth Enterprise Support Fund Initiative

John Armah

John Armah is 22 years of age and was born in Korle-Bu Hospital. He grew up in Kaneshie stayed in South Odorkor, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Takoradi, Dabala (Volta Region) and finally moved to Achimota where he resides. He started radio at age 18 and had the mindset of projecting Africa.

He started with Africa talks and a Community Development Fund. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Accra Hub, member of Africa 2.0 which is a global organization, on the advisory board of Next Wave Arica Women Empowerment Program in Africa, member of the national committee for Foreign Affairs for AU day in Ghana.

Johnwon the overall best student in government, literature, social studies, English and a couple of others. He was the Students Representative Council (SRC) president, assistant boys' prefect and currently in one of the entrepreneurship courses. He was ranked one of the youngest enterprising youths in the world.

Coming from an entrepreneurial background of my parents, I started the school's Student Representative Council and set up clubs. After school, he and his friends agreed to set up a recruitment agency and development for his communities. Their passion was to help the less priviledges in society.

In 2012, he received Ideas Award by Legacy and Legacy and the 27th Most Influential Ghanaian by ETV Ghana, the Global Entrepreneurship Sumer School ranking. He is noted to be the youngest contributor to the budget of Ghana with the YES initiative from his firm the Ghana Center for Entrepreneurship, Employment and Innovation

“Africa is being rebuilt, the story is being retold. Komla Dumor presented Africa's story in Africa's own way, young people in Africa like William Tetteh Senyo, Fred Deegbe, Esi Cleland, Gary Al-Smith, Regina Agyare, Debora Ahinkrah, BKC, Jeremiah Buabeng, Ekow Mensah, Wilson Senya and others are telling Africa's Story.

In Ghana and South Africa you have people like Diesel, in Zimbabwe; you have Krieg, an amazing young man. The level of activities of young people trying to start something is increasing. You have a young man starting a paper bag with just about $14 in his hand, in Uganda” he said.

He further stated that “There's never being a failure, we've never failed, we have challenges, sitting down thinking from points at which we were looking at how we get clients, now we are thinking how we diversify our clients and how we create a bigger business out of what we are doing now. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I share this, sometimes we win, sometimes we learn and you never lose. Failure is not a bus stop for anyone.

Failure helps you become bigger, it helps you win. The next time you want to do something, you have to win bigger, so for any of us out there; failure has never being a bus stop for us. We only keep winning and never give up”.

John is inspired by people like Denzel Washington, in Ghana, Hon. Fiifi Kwetey, Mr. Kofi Kafui Tsikata of the World Bank, his parents, Mr. Nana Yaw Preku, Nana Boatemaa, Mrs. Freda Adablah, the mum of EL (musician), and to EL himself.

He advised the youth to be who they want to be, and never to give up, examine their environment and see what they can do that makes them propelled as a young person that wants to help you change the society in which you are in.

“Be that young person who is ready to tell that Africa. We are rising together in unity and we would present a strong case that this is the land to be in and it's who you want to be and you will go for it” his final words.

Thank You
Akpah Prince
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