The Manager of the Stanbic Business Incubator, Hamza Mumuni, has challenged young Ghanaian entrepreneurs to take full advantage of targeted incubation and acceleration programmes to build the skills and business structures needed to compete in Africa’s fast-growing drone, artificial intelligence and robotics economy.
Mumuni made the call during a panel discussion at the maiden edition of the 2026 Drone Ignite Africa Summit, held on February 10, 2026, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra under the theme “Drone Innovation, African Impact, Global Momentum.” The summit brought together policymakers, investors, technology entrepreneurs and innovation ecosystem leaders to discuss how to accelerate the adoption and commercial impact of drone and emerging technology across the continent.
Speaking on the topic “Empowering Youth Entrepreneurship in the Drones, AI and Robotics Economy,” Mumuni said Africa’s digital transformation would ultimately depend on the capacity and creativity of its young people. “There are enormous opportunities when young people actively participate in innovation-driven sectors,” he said. “I encourage the youth to take full advantage of programmes specifically designed for them. These initiatives help sharpen skills, provide direction, and connect entrepreneurs to the right ecosystem players who can support their growth.”
He stressed that technical knowledge alone was not sufficient, warning that entrepreneurs who could not clearly communicate their value proposition to investors would struggle to attract funding. “If you are unable to clearly sell your business idea, you will struggle to attract investors. Many of these programmes train entrepreneurs to refine their business models, communicate their value effectively, and create the market linkages needed to scale,” he said.
Mumuni also highlighted the role of structured incubation programmes in preparing startups to engage commercial banks and access capital confidently, noting that mentorship, networks, funding access and strategic guidance were all essential ingredients for building sustainable enterprises.
The Stanbic Business Incubator is a programme operated by Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited that supports startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in building scalable and investment-ready businesses. Since its establishment in 2019, the incubator has supported over 20,000 entrepreneurs and SMEs through more than 500 workshops, pitch sessions, mentorship clinics and networking events, with a particular focus on women and youth-led businesses.
The 2026 Drone Ignite Africa Summit, the first of its kind in Ghana, centred discussions on unlocking the potential of drone technology across critical sectors including mining, agriculture, logistics, healthcare, security and infrastructure development.
