The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has urged emerging leaders to build the skills, enterprises and institutions needed to advance Africa’s development. The call came at the National Emerging Leaders Economic Forum 2026, hosted by the University on Monday, 21 September 2026, and co-organised by the Visionary Organisational Development and Entrepreneurial Club (VODEC) Africa.
The forum brought together young leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and industry representatives to discuss leadership, entrepreneurship and the conditions needed to turn Africa’s potential into economic opportunity.
Addressing participants, the Vice-Chancellor of UPSA, Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, encouraged young people to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and apply their knowledge to practical challenges. He urged them to look beyond existing opportunities and consider what they could produce, the enterprises they could establish and the capabilities they would need to contribute to national development.
Berima Acheampong Sarpong II, Chief of Asante Asamang, emphasised responsibility, integrity and service as foundations of leadership. He called for greater access to finance, skills, technology and markets for young people, while cautioning that ambition must be matched by the character and commitment to act on it.
Professor Apostle Christian Tsekpe identified character, competence and courage as qualities emerging leaders should cultivate. He also encouraged participants to build relationships that could grow into partnerships, businesses and collaborative responses to shared challenges.
Kosi Yankey-Ayeh urged young people to turn their ideas, talents and resources into tangible value. Africa’s transformation, she said, depended on choices made not only by political leaders but also by individuals in their workplaces and communities.
The President of VODEC Africa, Daniel Asomani, challenged young Africans to recognise their ability to address problems in their communities. He stressed that integrity was essential to building credible institutions capable of sustaining progress.
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu, described Africa’s youthful population, ideas and entrepreneurial energy as important assets. He called for stronger institutions that would help young people turn ideas into businesses, jobs and lasting solutions.
Across the discussions, speakers placed responsibility on both emerging leaders and the institutions that support them: young people must develop the capacity to act, while society must create the conditions in which their ideas can succeed.
