Akpeloo receives two awards at Youth Impact Awards
The Chief Executive Officer of Techcom Visions Ltd, a fast growing information technology firm in the country, Mr Tsonam Cleanse Akpeloo, has received two prestigious awards – Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and the Corporate Governance Award – at the Youth Impact Ghana Awards (YIGA 2011).
YIGA 2011, the maiden edition, is the first phase of the Motivate Young African Project (MYAP) founded by a youth development organisation, RA Incorporated. The awards were sponsored by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), with the support of several institutions such as Ricardey Company Ltd, Kageworld Ltd, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), DDP, the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), TV Africa and the Business and Financial Times.
Mr Samuel Antiaye Addy received the YIGA 2011 Youth Ambassador of the Year.
The project is aimed at motivating young Africans who are making exceptional impact in their diverse fields of endeavour. It identifies and awards individuals and organisations which are making significant impact on the development of young Africans.
In all, about 13 individuals received awards in many categories including Agriculture, Science and Technology, Community Service and Volunteerism, Contributions towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Arts and Entertainment, Education, Entrepreneurship, Corporate Governance and Friends of Youth.
A retired diplomat and statesman, Mr K.B. Asante, who was the Chairman of the Awards Committee, said the African youth needed to be motivated and inspired not only with motivational speeches but by practically highlighting the efforts of their peers towards self, community and national development.
“They need to know that there are young people in their environment with the same challenges and prospects who are making it big so that they would be inspired to confidently rise to face the challenges of their time,” he said.
He however wondered why most of the resources were invested in football and entertainment as if all Ghana needed were footballers and musicians, saying, “footballers and musicians are important but those we need most are entrepreneurs, scientists, technologists, young farmers, etc. So we need to set our priorities right when it comes to youth development,” Mr Asante stressed.
Mr Seth Oteng of Youth Bridge Foundation and Mr Nasri Abass, Managing Director of Sky Petroleum Company Ltd received the Friends of Youth Award.
Mr Kennedy Buabeng Ampofo of Bak Plus Company Ltd took the Agriculture Award. The other awardees include Justice K.B. Annan, Education award; Richard Kwame Dziwornu, Community Service and Volunteerism; Sylvanus Bedzrah, Arts and Entertainment; and, Yaw Eduse-Poku, Science and Technology.
The Coordinator of the Motivate Young African Project, Mr Raymond Ablorh, said the YIGA would expand to cover other African countries by the fifth year.