The AGENDA 2027, Springboard Roadshow's audacious vision

It is also a narrative that illustrates how a vision which had its roots in Ghana was transformed over the course of 10 years to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs and leaders.

To tell and appreciate the initiative of the Springboard Roadshow, it is perhaps important to roll back to 2007 - a time of bleak entrepreneurship fundamentals for much of the continent.

Pinpointing the exact moment when the idea was born is almost an impossible task, perhaps for the originators of the concept because the great success chalked in 10 years does not reflect the stated period of existence.

In trying to understand how the SpringboardRoad Show concept came about, it is perhaps more appropriate to focus on the contributory factors which have made it possible for the idea to take shape, rather than seeking to locate the proverbial building blocks behind the concept.

The Springboard ,however, is the brainchild of Reverend Albert and Mrs Comfort Ocran who are international motivational speakers, ministers of the gospel, authors and management consultants.

The concept has evolved into the nation's biggest personal development conference since 2007. The last 10 years has seen over 150,000 individuals in the country being trained in regional events entailing career guidance, one-on-one mentoring, training workshops and presentations from various leaders.

On the weekly motivational talk show, Springboard, Your Virtual University on Joy FM, the tables turned and the regular host of the programme Rev. Albert Ocran and his wife were rather the guests on the special edition of the Sunday evening programme hosted by the celebrated musician and entrepreneur Okyeame Kwame.

Okyeame Kwame, who was the guest-host also recounted how the Springboard had impacted his life positively.

The astute musician recalled a moment as a speaker on the Springboard Roadshow where young people quizzed him about his talent.

How it begun
Recounting the genesis of the initiative, Mrs Ocran said it all begun at the Osu Ebenezer Presbyterian Church hall, Osu in Accra where about 600 people across the country converged to be inspired.

“After the programme, a gentleman walked to us and said ‘Tamale people need you to come to replicate the amazing story that impacted the lives of the people in Accra,’ ”she recalled.

According to her, the challenge at the time was that the initiative was at the beginning stage, therefore, as organisers, “ we do not know anyone in Tamale to help us organise the programme but the gentleman insisted the programme should be held at that part of the country.”

Mrs Ocran said same happened in Koforidua in the Eastern Region that gave organisers the idea that the programme could be moved across the country and in 2008, the Springboard went to six cities in Ghana and beyond.

Nurturing talent
For Rev. Ocran, just like attitude, every human being was born with a talent - a special ability that allows an individual to undertake specific tasks very well and with less effort.

But as many experts, including celebrated author and life coach, John C. Maxwell, have posited, talent is not enough unless it is properly developed into a useful venture.

This is where the issue of talent discovery, development and deployment come to the fore.

While some people have been able to discover and nurture their talents into enterprising ventures that fetch them money, the same cannot be said of others. Most people are indeed, even unable to discover what their talent is neither to talk of grooming and turning it into profitable ventures.

This is where the issue of talent discovery, development and deployment come to the fore.

While some people have been able to discover and nurture their talents into enterprising ventures that fetch them money, the same cannot be said of others. Most people are indeed, even unable to discover what their talent is neither to talk of grooming and turning it into profitable ventures.

This is not good for the proper development of the individual and the society at large and it is also the reason the Springboard would in the next years raise over one million leaders well-groomed for entrepreneurship.

Impacting women
Reverend Ocran, who is also the Executive Director of the Springboard Foundation, said as part of the 2017 edition road show, there would be the Ladies Entrepreneurship and Advocacy Development (LEAD), a mentoring programme for young women in all 10 regions.

He indicated the Roadshow, which has over the years impacted the lives of 150,000 young Ghanaians, would coach young ladies in all the 10 regions through mentoring workshops and various breakout sessions.

“The new thing we are introducing this year is a special intervention for young ladies going into entrepreneurship. In every city, we will gather young ladies who are passionate about going into business and give them a free coaching blueprint to help them build their own business,” he said.

According to him, developing leaders is a deliberate programme, therefore, there is the need to create structures to help people achieve this.

“No nation has developed leaders accidentally; it is always a deliberate programme. What we want to do from January 2017 is to be able to deliver into the hands of every single person that attends Springboard a handbook, that tells what they will become on the continent in the next 10 years and the step-by-step guide to achieving it,” he said.

“For the past 10 years, the annual road show has recorded on the average 71 per cent and 29 per cent attendance for men and women respectively,” he said.

One million people
Rev. Ocran said Springboard would, in the 10 next years raise over one million leaders and that would be done on three pillars; people, leadership and enablement.

“So what this means is that we are daring ourselves to scale-up from 1,500 people to one million people – this will be done through extending the intervention from regional tour, mentoring event and deploying technology,” he added.

He said it will cost GH¢50 for each of the 30,000 participants to attend the road show across the 10 regions. 60 per cent (GH¢30) of this, however, shall be borne by the corporate sponsors, meaning that the GH¢20 would have to be paid by participants as gate fees.

“Pioneering free attendance in 2016 allowed many people to benefit who would otherwise not have been able to afford it. SRSF is for the first time encouraging individuals and Road Show alumni to take up the challenge of co-sponsoring all participants to attend the 2017 road show for free by donating GH¢20 or multiples of it. Every GH¢20 contribution will help shape one person’s destiny in some part of this country,” he said.

“Let’s help shape someone’s dream in some part of the country it might take a little from each of us and yet we could all do so much if everyone enables at least one person,” he added.