Five Ghanaian youth-led enterprises showcased innovative climate adaptation solutions at the In-Country YouthADAPT Challenge Demo Day, competing for grants of up to thirty thousand dollars to scale their green businesses.
The In-Country YouthADAPT Challenge Demo Day took place on Thursday, October 16, and Friday, October 17, 2025, at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, bringing together promising young entrepreneurs driving climate adaptation and green innovation.
The event was co-organized by the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and the Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) under the African Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), with support from Ashesi University’s Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC). The programme aims to unlock climate finance, policy support, and technical assistance for youth-led enterprises developing climate adaptation solutions across Africa.
On Thursday, five Ghanaian businesses pitched their innovative ideas for financial grants of up to thirty thousand dollars. The enterprises included Influx Groundnuts represented by Hamza Mabruka, Timoya Farms Ltd represented by Moses Tiborgnan, Dorthnoch Limited represented by Queenstar Nsakie, Food for All Africa Mobile Technologies Ltd represented by Elijah Amoo Addo, and Eorganics represented by Theophilus Delali Dumenyo.
Each entrepreneur presented their climate adaptation solution before a five-member jury comprising Huzaifa Abdulai (General Manager, Spry), Gustav Nii Ayi Mokobi Aryee (Head, Commercial Banking, Fidelity Bank), Andrew Akoto (Manager, Corporate Social Investments, Injaro Investment Advisors Limited), Disraeli Asante-Darko (Head, Business Administration Department, Ashesi University), and Zelda Barnes (Business Growth Strategist).
Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Emelia Arthur emphasized the potential of youth-led enterprises to drive innovation in climate-smart systems. “I have no doubt that our young and vibrant entrepreneurs present here have worked tirelessly to develop viable solutions,” she said.
Gloria Gowal-Abiri, Programme Specialist at GCA, noted that the challenge has supported 41 youth-led enterprises across three cohorts in 20 countries. She revealed that GCA has provided catalytic grant funding of one hundred thousand dollars to two alumni in Ghana and is refining the challenge into country editions to unlock domestic private sector financing for adaptation.
Joseph Murabula, Chief Executive Officer of KCIC, emphasized the value of partnerships in scaling adaptation solutions across Africa. He noted that KCIC’s participation aligns with its Pan-African mission to nurture green innovators.
The second day featured a panel discussion moderated by Innohub, with representatives from GCA, KCIC, and GCIC. Panelists highlighted that shared learning, joint initiatives, and partnerships among institutions, investors, and innovators are critical for scaling impact and achieving climate resilience across Africa.
