Accra: Dr. Justina Onumah, a Research Scientist at the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-STEPRI), has urged both government and private sector entities to pair financial investments in Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) with capacity building initiatives.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Onumah highlighted that financial support alone, without enhancing the skills and capabilities of these enterprises, may not lead to significant improvements.
The call was made during a policy dialogue on MSME Innovation Support Programmes and their impacts in Ghana, held in Accra under the theme 'Evidence to Action: Enhancing MSME Innovation Support for Inclusive Enterprise Development in Ghana'. The event was part of the Distributional Impact of Innovation and SME support in Ghana project, aimed at generating empirical evidence and strengthening institutional capacity for innovation policy and MSME support evaluation.
Dr. Onumah emphasized that their analysis revealed capacity building as a crucial factor for the performance of MSMEs, even when they receive financial assistance. "We realized that financial performance was okay among them, but innovation and employment generation was poor. The innovative aspect was relegated," she explained.
She further noted that since its inception, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) had been a flagship initiative intended to accelerate job creation and enterprise growth. However, she pointed out the scarcity of systematic evidence on the performance and equity outcomes of such programs.
Mr. Casper Sunday Kampoli, the Director of Research and Innovation at NEIP, acknowledged the importance of research, emphasizing that scientific evidence is vital for program design, monitoring, and evaluation. He stated, "The world is changing and COVID-19 has exposed all of us to a lot so without innovation, we will perish. Problems that should be solved in a space of time have become wicked."
Mr. Kampoli reiterated NEIP's focus on youth, stressing the need to enhance capacity-building interventions for young entrepreneurs to create more jobs.
Mr. Kwamena Essilfie Quaison, Director of Science, Technology and Innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, remarked that the dialogue was a call to partnership, as government alone cannot drive the agenda. He explained that government needs private sector commitment to invest in and mentor MSMEs while scaling up funding and technical support.
"It is prudent for both the public and private sector to support MSMEs to embrace innovation and sustainability. Remember, when MSMEs grow, Ghana grows. When they adopt green practices, the environment thrives and when they innovate, the future becomes brighter," Mr. Quaison added.
Dr. Gordon Akon-Yamga, another research scientist at CSIR-STEPRI, provided an overview of the project and the purpose of the dialogue. He explained that the project aimed to strengthen the capacities of project partners and generate empirically-driven research to better understand the MSME ecosystem. It also sought to assess the performance and impacts of programs implemented by NEIP and establish a network or community of practice.
