On 20 August 2026, E4Impact Foundation Ghana marked a major milestone in Accra with the graduation of the first cohort of the International Certificate in Impact Entrepreneurship (ICIE) Programme, delivered under the European Union–Ghana Pact for Skills. Eighty entrepreneurs from four partner universities — Cape Coast Technical University, Takoradi Technical University, the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, and Ho Technical University — completed the programme at the E4Impact Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre.
Funded by the European Union and implemented by UNCDF in partnership with E4Impact Foundation, the programme combined entrepreneurship training, business coaching, mentorship and investor-readiness support. The goal went beyond theory: participants gained practical tools to understand their businesses, respond to market opportunities and challenges, and prepare for sustainable growth.
The ceremony brought together 47 delegates, including diplomats, government representatives, university leaders, and partners from the development and financial sectors. Saviour Agortimevor, Country Director of E4Impact Foundation Ghana, opened the event, while Timothy Dolan, Team Leader for Economic, Private Sector and Trade, situated the ICIE Programme within the broader objectives of the EU–Ghana Pact for Skills and its focus on sustainable employability. Prof. Christopher Mensah, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Ho Technical University, spoke on universities as catalysts for entrepreneurship and sustainable enterprise growth.
The heart of the ceremony were the entrepreneurs themselves. The Entrepreneurs’ Spotlight and Open Discussion, moderated by Deborah Arthur, gave the floor to Daniel Kweku Merki of BoxPlay Ventures and Maame Akyaa of WIDU Africa, who shared practical reflections on funding, market entry and business resilience. Participants also exhibited their products and services to delegates, creating space for direct connections and potential future partnerships.
The ceremony closed with the presentation of certificates and awards to the graduating entrepreneurs and partner universities, and with the recognition of the 16 winners of the final ICIE pitch competition. Closing remarks were delivered by Mahmoud Iddrisu, Deputy CEO of the Ghana Enterprises Agency, who brought a public-sector perspective on the relevance of entrepreneurship to Ghana’s economic future.
This first edition demonstrates the value of combining structured entrepreneurship education with coaching, mentorship and exposure to the wider ecosystem and confirms the role universities can play in supporting entrepreneurs beyond traditional academic learning. The partnerships built with the four universities now provide a strong foundation for future cohorts.
For E4Impact Foundation and its partners, the graduation of the first 80 ICIE entrepreneurs is not an endpoint but the start of a new phase: deepening university engagement, strengthening links with private-sector and investment partners, and continuing to track entrepreneurs‘ progress beyond graduation, a concrete step toward a stronger pipeline of entrepreneurs building resilient, impactful businesses in Ghana.
ICIE Ghana is part of a broader path E4Impact has been building across African countries for years: training entrepreneurs who can not only start a business, but grow it in a structured and lasting way. Accra’s first cohort is one piece of that work, and the model tested here — universities, institutions and the private sector working toward the same goal — remains the reference point for the programme’s next editions.