UEW Innovation Hub Launches Government’s Adwumawura Training Programme for Entrepreneurs
The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Innovation Hub has commenced training business owners and entrepreneurs as part of the Government of Ghana’s flagship Adwumawura Programme. This initiative aims to equip 10,000 Ghanaians with practical entrepreneurial and management skills.
The training commenced on Monday, 27th October, 2025, at the Students' Centre Seminar Room III, North Campus, Winneba.
The programme, implemented under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment and the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), aims to empower participants to develop sustainable enterprises, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to national development. The UEW Innovation Hub secured the government’s contract to train beneficiaries in the Central Region following a successful collaboration with the THINK Network, a consortium driving graduate entrepreneurship and employability initiatives across Ghana.
Speaking at the opening session, Dr. Mawuko Dza, Coordinator of the UEW Innovation Hub and Vice-President of the THINK Network, disclosed that the Hub would train selected entrepreneurs and small business owners in a five-week intensive programme covering six key modules: Personal Leadership and Core Life Skills, Business Management, Marketing and Sales, Governance, Finance and Funding.
“The Adwumawura Programme is categorised into three cohorts—Alpha, Beta and Gamma—based on educational levels. UEW is hosting the Gamma cohort, made up of participants with higher educational qualifications including university and professional certificate holders,” he explained.
He said the training is designed to build the leadership, innovation and business management capacities of the participants through practical, hands-on sessions facilitated by experts from the School of Business. “We have assembled a strong team of consultants from the Business School to handle various aspects of the training. For this first week, Prof. Emmanuel Yamoah and I are leading the session on Leadership. The subsequent modules will be handled by colleagues including Dr. Tutu-Boahene and Dr. Yaw Brew,” Dr. Dza added.
He indicated that the sessions would run three times a week for five weeks with each session lasting three hours. The training would combine lectures, discussions, case studies and experiential learning to expose participants to best practices in entrepreneurship.
Dr. Dza revealed that UEW’s Innovation Hub had already engaged other entrepreneurship hubs in the Central Region to coordinate the smooth rollout of the Adwumawura training. “We met with all public and private hubs in Winneba and Cape Coast last week to ensure effective coordination and selection of beneficiaries. We are expecting about 35 participants for this cohort,” he said.
He stressed that the training would not only sharpen business acumen but also transform participants’ mindset and approach to enterprise leadership. “Most participants already own businesses but operate them without proper structures. We will guide them to understand issues such as strategic planning, design thinking, ideation, record-keeping and financial management,” he said.
He further hinted that the Innovation Hub would introduce stress management and psychological support sessions to promote holistic well-being among trainees.
Delivering the first lecture on Personal Leadership and Core Life Skills, Prof. Emmanuel Erastus Yamoah, Vice-Dean of the School of Business, encouraged participants to view leadership as a personal responsibility rather than a position of authority.
“Leadership is about influencing or inspiring others to achieve a goal—whether for an organisation, a community or even a country. True leadership begins with managing yourself before managing others,” he said.
Prof. Yamoah explained that leadership requires self-awareness, discipline and accountability, urging participants to take charge of their growth and business decisions. Using real-life illustrations, he underscored that leadership is about mindset and initiative rather than titles.
He advised participants to cultivate self-motivation and resilience, stressing that successful entrepreneurs are those who remain focused and adaptable in the face of challenges.
The Vice-Dean also highlighted core life skills identified by the World Health Organisation as essential for success—self-awareness, empathy, effective communication, problem-solving, decision-making, emotional control and adaptability. He described these as indispensable tools for entrepreneurial and personal growth.
The UEW Innovation Hub’s role in the Adwumawura Programme underscores its commitment to promoting entrepreneurship education, innovation and sustainable livelihoods among Ghanaian youth. The Hub continues to catalyse bridging academic knowledge with real-world enterprise development, in line with UEW’s vision of producing graduates who are not only employable but also capable of creating employment opportunities for others.
