The Chief Executive Officer for Engineers and Planners and Dzata Cement, Ibrahim Mahama has charged students in the country to strive towards finding solutions to problems bedevilling Ghana.
According to Mr. Mahama that is how entrepreneurs are built.
In a speech to students of the University of Ghana School of Allied Health on Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy, Ibrahim Mahama underscored the importance of thinking global.
“There are many entrepreneurs all over Ghana and even globally. But how many of them have you heard of? I will not bother you by asking what you have heard or know of them but for certainty, those you have
heard of did something unique. They found solutions to mankind’s everyday problems. This is the kind of mindset you should have.”
He related to his dream of setting Dzata Cement and how it all started from a problem of inferior cement he identified.
“In the past, news of collapsed buildings were a regular feature in the media as a result of the usage of substandard materials for buildings. What do you think an entrepreneur will do? He/she after studying and understanding the cause will then come up with a solution and mainstream on when properly commercialising brings forth financial fortunes. The birth of Dzata Cement hinges on solutions to protect and add value to the construction sector. In the world of entrepreneurship, financial gains will come after the people buy into your solutions/services.”
Mr. Mahama urged the students who want to be successful entrepreneurs to, first of all, be innovative, commercialise their innovations and be financially literate.
“How are you able to convert your innovative ideas into a resilient entrepreneurship concept with a
global reach in mind? With the existence of technology, cross-border transactions among different countries have become possible, you can cite Netflix and Amazon as an example.”
He urged the students to eschew selfishness and collaborate if need be in the building of their businesses.
“Learn to avoid the ‘I want to do it all by myself’ culture. There are times you must rely on friends with expertise in some fields. Learn to collaborate to create value for your ideas.”
“In all of these, do not limit your target market or audience to people within your community or country. The world’s population should be your target market to reach, work hard at it, consult more and the
financial reward will naturally follow suit.”
The Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Summit was organized by the University of Ghana School of Allied Health Students Association under the leadership of Kwabena Asante, founder of Probity Leadership Council (PLC), Financial Secretary Gideon Frederick Owusu and his deputy Muntaka Mohammed as part of a week-long celebration.
Other speakers at the Summit were Data Bank CEO Kojo Addae-Mensah, Business Mogul Nana Kwame Bediako popularly known as Cheddar, NHIA CEO Bernard Okoe Boye, Dean of University of Ghana Business School Prof. Nyigmah Bawole.
