Sherif Ghali has announced his decision to step down as Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE) after a decade at the helm of the organisation.
In a farewell statement, Mr Ghali said his departure was intended to create space for “new leadership and new energy” to take the Chamber into its next decade, while assuring that he would remain active in Ghana’s entrepreneurship and youth-development ecosystem.
“After 10 years, I am stepping down as CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs,” he said.
Mr Ghali described his decade at GCYE as a period during which the organisation evolved from “a simple idea” into a recognised voice for young entrepreneurs, advocating policy reforms, building partnerships and supporting businesses across the country.
He said he was leaving the position with “gratitude, pride and confidence” in the future of the Chamber.
Building a national voice for young entrepreneurs
During Mr Ghali’s tenure, GCYE expanded its role beyond business networking into entrepreneurship advocacy, enterprise development and policy engagement.
The Chamber has been involved in national efforts to improve the policy and regulatory environment for startups and young businesses. Mr Ghali served as coordinator of the technical working process around Ghana’s proposed Start-up and Innovation Bill and repeatedly advocated measures to address financing, market access, infrastructure and other constraints confronting emerging businesses.
In 2025, GCYE, with technical support from the Investment Climate Reform Facility, helped develop and launch a National Business Agenda aimed at addressing structural barriers facing youth- and women-led enterprises.
The agenda was based on nationwide consultations and identified five major reform areas: policy and regulation, access to finance, market access, infrastructure and digitalisation, and enterprise support systems. It also established a public-private dialogue platform to bring government, business associations and other stakeholders together on enterprise reforms.
The Investment Climate Reform Facility subsequently described the GCYE-led intervention as a completed project that had produced an evidence-driven National Business Agenda and strengthened public-private engagement around inclusive business regulation.
Supporting businesses and entrepreneurs
Mr Ghali’s tenure was also marked by programmes designed to move young entrepreneurs beyond training into actual business development.
GCYE records indicate that more than 3,000 young entrepreneurs had benefited from business development training under his leadership, while funding opportunities were facilitated for more than 200 emerging entrepreneurs.
The Chamber subsequently developed programmes including the Student Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP), Young Female Entrepreneurs Programme (YoFEP), Apprenticeship to Enterprise (APPENT) and the Youth Enterprise Support Scheme (YESS Fund).
YoFEP, launched in 2023, specifically targeted young Ghanaian women with training, mentorship and access to capital to establish and grow sustainable businesses.
The Chamber’s 2023 report also records Mr Ghali’s appointment to a seven-member committee overseeing the NEIP Hubs Acceleration Grant Programme under the World Bank’s Ghana Economic Transformation Project. The programme awarded more than GH¢20 million to innovation hubs across Ghana.
From national advocacy to continental influence
Mr Ghali’s work also increasingly extended beyond Ghana.
In 2023, he was nominated as Chairperson of the Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs (CAYE) Africa, a Commonwealth-linked network designed to strengthen the collective voice of young entrepreneurs and influence policy across the region.
His influence within Ghana’s youth policy space also grew. In 2025, he was appointed to the Governing Board of the National Youth Authority as a representative of independent youth groups.
He was also appointed to the independent selection committee for the government’s Adwumawura Programme, which was designed to support 10,000 viable youth- and women-led businesses through funding, mentorship and market opportunities.
In 2025, Atlantic Hall of the University of Cape Coast honoured him with a citation following a keynote address on youth entrepreneurship and leadership.
He was earlier recognised as “Youth Achiever in Entrepreneurship” at the National Youth Achievers and Mentors Awards in 2022.
“The journey continues”
Mr Ghali said his resignation from GCYE should not be interpreted as an exit from youth entrepreneurship.
“I am stepping down from the CEO role, but I am not stepping away from the entrepreneurship and youth development ecosystem,” he said.
He disclosed that his next chapter would involve dedicating greater attention to strengthening the Ghana Youth Federation, while continuing to contribute to entrepreneurship, public policy and youth development in Ghana and beyond.
Mr Ghali, who currently serves as President of the Ghana Youth Federation, said he was confident that GCYE was ready for its next phase.
“Ten years. Countless lessons. Thousands of relationships. One remarkable journey,” he said. “The journey continues.”
Source: www.kumasimail.com
