Entrepreneurs Foundation honour 40 for contribution to economy
The Founder and President of Ideal Groupe, Dr Nii Kotei Dzani, has been adjudged the overall best entrepreneur for the year 2017 by the Entrepreneurs Foundation.
Advertisement
Dr Dzani, a member of the Council of State and an entrepreneur, is the brain behind one of the fastest growing business groups in the country, with 13 subsidiaries in the financial and non-financial sectors.
At a ceremony held last Saturday night in Accra, about 40 other entrepreneurs were also honoured for their outstanding performances and contributions to the growth of the private sector and the economy.
They included the Chief Executive Officer of Omnibank Limited, Mr Philip Oti-Mensah, who was named the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) financial Chief Executive of the year 2017.
Others, who were honoured in the entrepreneur award category, were the Chief Executive Officer of the African Regent Hotel, Mr John Addo Kufuor, the Group Chairman of First Sky Group of Companies, Mr Eric Seddy Kutortse, and the Chief Executive Officer of Western Publications Limited, Mrs Gina Ama Blay.
Those honoured in the Corporate award category were the Country General Manager of IBM Ghana Limited, Ms Angela Kyeremanten-Jimoh, the Executive Vice-Chairman of Vanguard Assurance Company Limited, Dr Gideon Yao Amenyedor and the Chief Executive Officer of Gratis Foundation, Mr Emmanuel Asiedu.
They all recieved mementos and citations.
SME support
The Ghana@ 60 edition of the Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Awards 2017, which was the seventh edition to be held by the foundation, was sponsored by the Omnibank Ghana Limited and attracted top managers of various businesses, members of the Diplomatic Corps, politicians and government officials.
In a welcome address, the Head of Research and Entrepreneurs Clinic of Omnibank Ghana Limited, Dr Godwin Ansah, said the entrepreneur played a very significant role in the economy and needed to be supported.
He said the bank had thus instituted an entrepreneurs and SME clinic to help private business operators overcome some non-financial constraints that inhibited the growth of their business.
Govt’s intervention
At the awards dinner, a Deputy Minister of Trade, Mr Carlos Ahenkora, said the government was committed to supporting the growth of the private sector, which he described as the centre for the growth of the economy.
Articulating what government intended to do to advance the sector, he said a 10-pillar strategic plan had been drawn up to spearhead the country’s industrialisation drive.
He said it included a stimulus package for companies and industries that were distressed, the ‘one district one factory’ initiative, strategic anchor industry, which was a flagship industry to sustain the economy, the establishment of 10 specific product industrial parks modelled after the free zone ideology in all the regions and improving export products to make them meet international standards and markets.
The Minister of Business Development, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, in a speech read on his behalf, said the path to economic growth was empowering the private sector.
Among other things, he advised private businesses to adopt the best corporate practices and strong boards and management teams.
After receiving his award, Dr Dzani urged private business operators to take advantage of the policies outlined by the government for the development of the economy.
