The University of Ghana Hult team, winners of the 2019 Hult Prize Regional competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has presented awards to the Vice-Chancellor. The team which is also known as Team Agrilab are represented by Nana Akua Afriyie Busia (Team Leader), Isaac Kojo Aboah, Henry Duah and Daniel Kwame Afriyie.
Nana Akua Afriyie Busia in brief remarks indicated that Hult Prize was a social entrepreneurship challenge for undergraduate students across the globe. The theme for this year’s edition she stated is “For Us, By Us” – Solving Youth Unemployment and it is targeted at creating a business venture which can provide 10,000 young people with jobs over the next decade.
In revealing the motive behind the choice of using greenhouse to promote agriculture, Nana Akua Afriyie Busia stated that greenhouse farming was a means of making agriculture more productive and attractive among the youth. She also noted that the team was focusing on the production of tomatoes as start up.
Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice-Chancellor, in his remarks was full of praise for the team in making the University and Ghana proud. He charged them to expand the scope of their project to include benefits to mothers and children on the streets, in addition to providing jobs for the youth . The Vice-Chancellor further charged the team not to lose focus on the nutrition of other agricultural produce such as green leafy vegetables, a vital source of nutrition.
Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu assured the team of the University’s support through the Institute of Applied Science and technology in the provision of needed logistics in making their project a success. He also promised to assist in seeking external support from relevant public and private stakeholders.
Dr. Godfred Matthew Owusu, Senior lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School and leader of the delegation expressed his commitment in incorporating the ideas of the challenge into the scope of work of the students. This he indicated will help the University get more competitive students to partake in the Hult prize every year.
The Hult Prize competition is the World’s largest student movement for social good, started by Ahmed Ashkar and Bertil Hult in 2009 in partnership with the Hult Prize Business School and the United Nations. It is an annual, year-long competition that welcomes college and university students from all over the world to compete for USD1 million in seed capital to help the winning team launch a social enterprise. Students are challenged to solve a pressing social issue around topics such as food security, water access, energy, and education.
As a demonstration of appreciation, the Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Stella A. Amoa presented the team with souvenirs of the University.
