For several decades Africa has been relying on the several natural resources the continent is blessed with. This over-dependence on natural resources has shifted the focus from the very many talented human resources on the continent.
It is often argued by some development partners in Africa that the neglect of Africa’s human resource is a contributory factor to the poor state of the economies of Africa.
In a bid to throw some light on the plight of the numerous young entrepreneurs and creatives in Africa who have virtually no voice in policy formulation, Tiwala Markt Company Limited organized a private workshop for Ten young African entrepreneurs to discuss among other things how to create relevance for the human resource sector of Africa.
In his opening statement, Mr. Wisdom King Adukpo; CEO of Tiwala Markt Company Limited and Ghana Representative, West African Coordinator of the Africa Trade and Investment Global Services (ATIGS) started off with a quote from Lawrence Bosidy, “I am Convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day, you bet on people not strategies.”
He revealed that the he has always lived his young years believing that Africa can develop if enough efforts is placed on identifying and using the human resource just as the continent’s natural resource. “Human Resources are like natural resources; they are buried deep. You have to go looking for them, they are not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves, this is was a very wise saying by Ken Robinson and I believe its about time African leaders begin to mine for human resource just as they spend several millions of dollars in exploring natural resource “He disclosed
“The value of a business is a function of how well the financial capital are managed by the human capital. You better get the human capital part right, therefore help us now before you complain of brain drain” He cautioned.
He bemoaned the condition that makes young African energetic workforce risk their lives through the desert in search of greener pastures from Europe. “Some of the young human capital of Africa leave the shores of the continent through very terrible conditions, most of the time knowing full well the dangers ahead of them, yet they embark on such risky ventures. They take such risk because there is nothing here for them to do.” He stated.
Mr. Wisdom recounted his own experience in trying to bring investors from across the world to look at investment opportunities in his home country. He revealed how the Ghana and its leaders were not willing to support him to accomplish that feat and left everything on him. He disclosed the several challenges he has gone through including the payments of huge debts simply because he is making every effort to establish a system that will equally equip the numerous young human resources in Africa.
One of the participants of the workshop, Mr. Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin used the opportunity to appeal to the managers of the national purse to consider initiatives of young Africans that have the potential of driving positive change in the lives and well being of the people. He also encouraged successful entrepreneurs to look at training proteges to develop their skills and networks to be able to establish themselves and contribute their quota to the development of their nations.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Wisdom King Adukpo made a staggering statement that left everyone talking. He disclosed that, when the Europeans came to Africa, the very thing they excelled in trading, was slaves; an indication that they understood the importance of human resource hence the development they have recorded over the years.
