Young people have been urged to develop innovative ideas, adopt a positive mindset and pursue opportunities beyond conventional career paths to contribute to Ghana’s economic growth.
The call was made at the third edition of VL Exposure 2026, held at the Cedi Conference Centre of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Saturday, October 24, under the theme “A New Generation, A New Mindset” and the sub-theme “Catalyst for Change”.
The event brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs and young people to explore ways of nurturing a generation capable of creating opportunities, building sustainable businesses and contributing to national development.
Founder and convener of VL Exposure, Victoria Lebene Osafo-Nkansah said the initiative was established to promote businesses, products, services and individuals while providing young people with opportunities to develop their ideas and create their own paths to success.
She said government had a responsibility to ensure that young people received quality education and were adequately prepared for the future, but stressed that the youth also had an important role to play in driving national development.
She called for increased support for youth-focused initiatives, describing VL Exposure as an empowerment platform intended to contribute to entrepreneurship, economic growth and sustainability.
Mrs. Osafo-Nkansah said the third edition featured exhibitions, vendors and sessions designed to encourage conversations about positive mindsets, success, skills development and meaningful professional connections.
She explained that success should not be measured by money alone, but also by the knowledge, skills, potential and relationships people developed and how effectively they used them to achieve their goals.
“This is the third edition,” she said, expressing gratitude to the young people, companies, partners and sponsors supporting the initiative.
The convener further disclosed that the organisers were exploring opportunities to expand VL Exposure beyond Ghana, with a broader focus on Africa and how the continent could translate its abundant natural resources into economic value.
She said the initiative would continue to nurture young talent and encourage practical approaches to turning ideas into meaningful outcomes.
Business leader and founder of The PK Amoabeng Leadership Foundation, Prince Kofi Amoabeng challenged aspiring entrepreneurs to focus on creating products and services that save people time and improve their experiences.
He said two fundamental considerations should guide anyone seeking to establish a successful business: whether the product or service saves customers time and whether it makes them feel better than competing alternatives.
“When you want to start a business, ask yourself, the service I’m going to provide or the goods I’m going to produce, is it going to save people time better than the competition? And is it going to make people feel better than the competition?” he said.
“If you can answer these two questions, you have a great product or a great service.”
He explained that saving time was an important driver of development because it enabled people to accomplish more and enjoy other aspects of their lives.
According to him, businesses that identify everyday inconveniences and develop practical solutions can create value while generating revenue.
Using his experience in the financial services sector, Prince Amoabeng cited the introduction of a 48-hour loan service by Unique Trust as an example of how identifying customer frustrations could create a competitive advantage.
“When I started Unique Trust, what did we do? I looked at the time that banks were taking to give loans, and I said it’s disrespectful for people. I experienced it and I don’t like it,” he said.
“So we came up with a loan in 48 hours. And that is what distinguishes us from the whole financial service industry.”
He encouraged young entrepreneurs to observe problems within their communities and consider how their skills and ideas could provide better solutions.
The Ga West MCE, Hon. John Desmond Sowah Nai, also urged young people to take advantage of emerging technologies, government programmes, mentorship opportunities and partnerships to build sustainable livelihoods.
He noted that artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot were changing how people worked, making it necessary for young people to understand technological developments and position themselves to benefit from them.
He encouraged the youth to explore opportunities in agriculture, technology and other sectors rather than concentrating solely on conventional employment.
“Who told you that a youth cannot start today and become the best rice farmer in Ghana? Or the best poultry farmer in Ghana?” he asked.
Hon. Sowah Nai advised aspiring entrepreneurs to consider partnerships and develop prototypes of their ideas instead of waiting until they had secured loans or substantial capital before taking action.
He said presenting distinctive business ideas to potential investors and demonstrating how they differed from existing products could improve their prospects of attracting financial support.
He further urged young people to build networks, seek mentors and remain persistent despite criticism and setbacks.
“If you’re scared of criticisms, you can never achieve your vision. Criticism makes you better,” he said.
Hon. Sowah Nai added that young people should keep pursuing their goals and seek guidance from people who could support their development.
He urged them to take advantage of available opportunities and begin working towards their ambitions rather than allowing discouragement to prevent them from making progress.
