Koforidua: The Eastern Tech Hub Foundation (ETHF), with support from Fondation Botnar under the OurCity Project, has held the TechTown Community Marketplace 2026 in Koforidua, bringing together entrepreneurs, development partners, financial institutions, government agencies, students, artisans, and innovators to promote skills development, networking, and sustainable enterprise growth.
According to Ghana Web, the event took place at the Koforidua Cultural Centre under the theme, "A Marketplace of Ideas. A Marketplace of Skills. A Marketplace of Opportunity." It provided a platform for participants to showcase products and services, build business partnerships, access mentorship opportunities, and connect with institutions offering financial and technical support.
The day-long program featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, business exhibitions, networking sessions, an impact gallery walk, market linkage conversations, and consultations with enterprise support organizations. Executive Director of the Eastern Tech Hub Foundation, Isaac Agbetey Akutey, stated that the event marked another milestone in the Foundation's three-year effort to transform Koforidua into one of Ghana's leading digitally empowered cities through the OurCity Project, funded by Fondation Botnar.
He explained that the initiative began with digital skills training for young people in areas such as software development, user experience (UX/UI) design, and other information technology disciplines. This training later expanded into schools through robotics clubs and innovation competitions that encouraged students to develop solutions to community challenges.
The program shifted its focus to artisans and small business owners, equipping them with financial literacy, digital marketing, business advisory services, and business model development skills. Akutey stated that the Foundation identified equipment gaps among trainees and provided them with the tools needed to expand their businesses through a revolving support model rather than outright donations.
"If an entrepreneur requires a sewing machine or any other equipment after assessment, we provide it through an interest-free revolving support system. Beneficiaries repay gradually, allowing the fund to support other entrepreneurs within the community," Akutey explained.
He noted that beyond skills training, the TechTown Community Marketplace was designed to connect entrepreneurs with financial institutions, apprenticeship programs, mentors, and business development organizations. "This is not just an event. It is a marketplace of ideas, networking, and opportunities. Nobody should leave here empty-handed. Participants should leave with knowledge, new business contacts, opportunities, or tangible business growth," he said.
Akutey added that the Foundation continues to mentor beneficiaries after training through dedicated mentor networks and cohort platforms, ensuring continuous business support and expansion opportunities. Evelyn Enyonam Lotsu, Eastern Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, commended the Eastern Tech Hub Foundation for creating a platform that aligns with the Authority's mandate of promoting youth development through entrepreneurship, leadership, and employment creation.
She emphasized that the initiative demonstrates that young people, when equipped with relevant skills and opportunities, become drivers of innovation, economic growth, and community transformation. Participants were encouraged to take advantage of the networking opportunities to establish partnerships, access mentorship, and explore pathways to sustainable livelihoods.
Emmanuel Asante, Eastern Regional Coordinator of the National Apprenticeship Programme, described the initiative as a practical response to youth unemployment. He stated that government alone could not solve the country's unemployment challenge, stressing that partnerships with organizations such as the Eastern Tech Hub Foundation were essential in equipping young people with employable skills.
Asante urged parents to encourage their children to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills, noting that reliance on white-collar employment was no longer sustainable. According to the Coordinator, findings from a government survey showed that the cost of training materials, apprenticeship fees, and trainee allowances remained major barriers to skills acquisition. He noted that government interventions are aimed at reducing these financial burdens to enable more young people to enroll in apprenticeship programs.
Asante disclosed that the National Apprenticeship Programme enrolled approximately 1,200 apprentices and engaged 240 master craftspersons in the Eastern Region last year. Meanwhile, Dr. Dorcas Salamatu Alhassan, Eastern Region Centre Manager of the Centre for National Culture, praised the partnership with the Eastern Tech Hub Foundation, describing technology and digital entrepreneurship as essential tools for employment creation and national development.
She encouraged participants to continuously acquire new skills, saying additional competencies could create alternative sources of income even for people already in formal employment. One of the exhibitors, Rebecca Ababio, a producer of human hair and beneficiary of the entrepreneurship training program, said the training had significantly improved her business management skills. She said participants received practical knowledge in financial management, stock control, customer relations, and digital marketing, enabling them to better promote their products and manage business growth.
Ababio, however, appealed for additional financial support to enable small businesses to expand and increase production. The TechTown Community Marketplace forms part of the Eastern Tech Hub Foundation's broader strategy to build an inclusive innovation ecosystem where young people, artisans, and entrepreneurs can access skills, mentorship, financing, and business opportunities to create sustainable livelihoods across the Eastern Region.
Other dignitaries present at the event included the Eastern Regional Manager of the Ghana Enterprise Agency, Eric K. Obeng; the Eastern Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Boama Owusu-Ansah; and the Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben South, Ransford Owusu Boakye. Representatives from Access Bank Ghana and GTBank Ghana also attended the event, underscoring the strong support from key public institutions and the banking sector for youth entrepreneurship and innovation.