The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has called for urgent action to ensure that student ideas are transformed into viable businesses, warning that many innovative concepts remain trapped in notebooks due to lack of support systems.

He made the remarks at the official launch of the Students Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) Programme at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, describing the initiative as a key intervention to address youth unemployment through entrepreneurship.

According to him, Ghana’s education system continues to produce graduates who are knowledgeable but lack practical pathways to turn ideas into income generating ventures.

“Too many young people graduate with knowledge and without a pathway. Too many brilliant ideas are still in notebooks, never becoming businesses,” he said.

The Minister explained that the SEED Programme is designed to change this reality by providing structured support for students to develop and scale their ideas into sustainable enterprises.

He said the programme will offer entrepreneurship training, mentorship, incubation support, business registration assistance, and access to funding opportunities for student entrepreneurs across tertiary institutions.

Mr Opare Addo noted that SEED builds on existing government interventions, particularly the Adwumawura Programme, which has already supported thousands of young entrepreneurs nationwide.

He stressed that youth employment programmes must be implemented in a non partisan manner to ensure fairness, credibility, and long term impact.

“Poverty does not know any political colour. When opportunities and jobs are created, it goes a long way to serve the good people of this country,” he stated.

He further highlighted the role of innovation hubs across Ghana, noting that they are central to the successful implementation of youth entrepreneurship initiatives.

According to him, more than 100 innovation hubs are currently working with students and young entrepreneurs to develop and scale business ideas across various sectors.

The Minister added that government remains committed to expanding such interventions to ensure that young people are empowered to transition from job seekers to job creators, contributing meaningfully to national development.