In today's dynamic business environment, understanding the nuances of entrepreneurship is crucial for aspiring enterprise owners and job seekers. Against this backdrop, the Entrepreneurship Education and Training (EET) Unit of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprise Development (CESED) organised the 5th entrepreneurship guest lecture (EGL) on 13th February 2024 at the Auditorium 900 of the University of Cape Coast (UCC). The lecture hosted over 2000 students. 

The Director of CESED, Prof. (Mrs.) Mavis Serwah Benneh Mensah, in her welcome address noted that the semester-based lecture focuses on three main themes namely, navigating student and novice entrepreneurship; the entrepreneurial journey – ingredients for success; and support for student entrepreneurship. The 5th EGL featured distinguished and experienced personalities in their fields of endeavour. They are the founder and CEO of Elimina Boat Cruise Limited, Mr. Prince Arthur; the founder and CEO of Grandstyle Global Services Limited, Mr. Frank Mensah Dakpoh; and the Senior Regulatory Officer and Head of Registration, Food and Drugs Authority of Ghana, Pastor Mrs. Shirley Gloria Davis Andoh. 

Mr. Prince Arthur shared insights from his challenging but exciting and rewarding entrepreneurial journey which begun in his third year of study as an Economics student at UCC. According to him, Elmina Boat Cruise Limited, formerly Atlantic Ocean Tour, became a reality in 2017 when his team secured a seed capital of $4000.00 through a business plan competition under the partnership for Enterprise Development between UCC and the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences in Germany. He consistently thrilled and motivated the students as he emphasised the indispensable entrepreneurial traits and practices – such as resilience, commitment, value creation, ethics, professionalism and compliance with regulations – that enabled him to sustain his business, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Mr. Frank Dakpoh, speaking on “the entrepreneurial journey – ingredients for success”, highlighted challenges such as inadequate capital and general resource scarcity in penetrating the European market and emphasised the importance of quality control and strategic pricing as critical foreign market entry strategies. Pastor Mrs. Shirley Andoh shed light on regulatory requirements for small enterprises, stressing the significance of compliance with FDA regulations and acquisition of FDA approval/certification. The event concluded with an open forum which provided attendees with valuable guidance and mentorship opportunities.

Other dignitaries present at the event were the Central Regional Director of the FDA, Ms. Francisca Obeng; the CEO of Consolidated Bank Ghana Ltd. (UCC Branch), Mr. Eugene Raphael Prah; and CESED’s Examinations and Registration Officer, Dr. Charles Kwamena Hackman Essel. Also present were Dr. Enoch Mensah-Williams, Mr. Richard Asumadu, Mrs. Hannah Kukua Ribeiro (CESED’s Principal Administrative Assistant) and Mr. Felix Nkansah Badioo.