Ecobank Ghana PLC officially launched the maiden edition of its youth summit on Wednesday, which centred around the forward-looking theme: “The Future of Work.”
The summit serves as a pinnacle event for ongoing efforts offering direct access to corporate leadership and mentorship.
The high-impact event brought together 350 enthusiastic participants to engage with seasoned industry experts and explore the rapidly changing professional landscape. This flagship program was specifically designed to provide the younger generation with the critical tools and insights needed to navigate their future careers effectively.
Speaking to The Chronicle, the Head of Youth Banking at Ecobank Ghana, Ms. Akua Mansa Kissi, emphasized that the bank’s CEO, Abena Osei-Poku, has youth empowerment at heart.
Ms. Kissi explained that the bank’s youth banking segment is strategically designed to empower the next generation to “build, innovate, and lead.” This vision ensures that young people are not merely job seekers but are fully prepared to be leaders in their respective fields.
To further this goal, the bank has already deployed 100 youth ambassadors across 10 university campuses to champion financial inclusion and encourage a culture of savings among their peers.
These initiatives specifically target individuals between the ages of 15 and 35, providing them with the necessary financial literacy and professional guidance to succeed.
The programme was moderated by Kweku Temeng, who facilitated the day’s discussions and ensured an engaging flow of information between the speakers and the audience.
His role was pivotal in navigating the dense programme outline, which featured sessions on digital skills, AI tools, personal branding, and cybersecurity.
Madam Betty Zormelo, a distinguished HR practitioner and Managing Director of Zormelo & Associates, delivered a keynote presentation defining career development as an ongoing process of managing learning, work experience, and professional growth.
She urged the youth to view themselves as unique brands, emphasizing that “self-awareness” is the essential foundation for creating a strong professional identity.
She noted that seeking employment involves marketing oneself through a well-written CV and a professional online presence.
Expanding on digital professional standards, Madam Zormelo advised participants to leverage platforms like LinkedIn to highlight their skills, career goals, and aspirations. She issued a stern caution regarding social media, noting that most modern employers pay close attention to the digital footprints left on student profiles.
She encouraged the responsible use of AI and reminded the audience that a professional outlook and genuine enthusiasm during interviews are key to making a lasting impression.
Mr. Nixon Amoah-Awuah, the Head of HR for Ecobank Ghana and Anglophone West Africa, shared his extensive expertise in human capital and organizational transformation.
Drawing from his experience across the telecom, oil and gas, and manufacturing sectors, Nixon provided a look at what the bank specifically seeks in top-tier talent.
As a trained executive coach, his insights focused on bridging the gap between academic preparation and the practical expectations of the corporate world.
The summit also featured the inspiring story of Victoria Naashika Quaye, the founder and CEO of Naaviq Company Limited. Quaye shared how her passion for entrepreneurship began at just nine-years-old, selling filtered water alongside her mother.
Her journey to leading a company that provides expert borehole drilling and water treatment solutions served as a powerful testament to resilience in a male-dominated sector, proving that success is driven by “passion, focus, and self-motivation.”
Madam Quaye challenged the traditional “9 to 5” work mindset, asserting that success in the modern era is “no longer a 9-to-5 business.”
She argued that effectiveness now involves “doing fewer things and getting the best results” by utilizing the right specialized tools.
Her message encouraged the youth to be proactive in finding innovative, enterprising solutions to community problems rather than following rigid, outdated professional structures.
Addressing the impact of technology, Mr. Sumaila Zakariah, Product Manager for Enterprise Workflows and Systems at Ecobank, noted that many entry-level tasks are being automated.
He advised the youth to build their careers on “purpose and judgment” rather than routine tasks.
He also urged attendees to be accountable for outcomes and to ensure that technology is used to make the customer’s experience simpler and more efficient.
This broader perspective on the entrepreneurship ecosystem was complemented by Nelson Madiba Amo, CEO of Innohub Foundation, who spoke on finding enterprising solutions to poverty through social innovation.
The event was bolstered by corporate partners, most notably Kasapreko, who sponsored the summit with Awake Mineral Water.
Other partners included Procus Ghana Limited, producers of the Kivo range of products, while Akua Mansa Kissi confirmed that this flagship programme will now be held annually across various locations in Ghana.
By Mohammed T. Kataba
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