B&FT ignites students’ interest ahead of ‘Youth Economic Forum’ during UGACC orientation

The management of Business and Financial Times (B&FT), the nation’s number one business news organisation and its key partner, Ecobank Ghana PLC, has embarked on a strategic youth engagement initiative on campuses, mobilising the next generation of leaders ahead of the Ghana Youth Economic Forum (YEF) 2025.

The first in-person campus engagement, which took place at the University of Ghana Accra City Campus (UGACC), during the freshers’ orientation ceremony, featured a general address to the student body and a one-on-one interaction, enlightening the youth about YEF and the need to participate as youth.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the B&FT Dr. Godwin Acquaye led the delegation and shared his experience studying in Ghana for his undergraduate as well as his postgraduate studies in the UK with the freshers, highlighting key differences and the vital lessons that are relevant to their journey on campus.

A central focus of the visit was the Youth Economic Forum, a flagship B&FT platform designed to give young Ghanaians a voice in national economic discourse. Dr. Acquaye introduced the freshers to the forum as a critical space for networking, mentorship and contributing to Ghana’s fiscal future.

He emphasised that the YEF 2025, which will be held at the end of February 2026, will enable them to engage policy-makers, be educated on national issues, and be empowered to participate in critical economic issues and access entrepreneurship opportunities.

Dr. Acquaye also urged the students to look beyond the lecture halls and read widely to be abreast with current trends and news items affecting students’ lives and their career pathways.

“Beyond the academics, explore for in-depth knowledge, because your knowledge base may be shallow even if you have a first-class degree without consuming current affairs and other media content for trends and practical information.

“Take advantage of the wealth of information available in books, databases and your highly experienced professors. I advise you to use them to enrich your learning, research and recreation,” he said.

He touched on the need for students to undertake internship programmes with corporate organisations to bridge industry-acadmia gap.

He further introduced the students to the Youth Economic Forum and other opportunities that the students can access through the B&FT.

Principal, UGACC, Prof. Clement Kwamina Insaidoo Appah, urged the students who wished to be on the main campus but ended up at the City Campus not to be disappointed because the quality is the same and people from that side often performed better than those on the main campus over the years.

“Make the best out of your time here, maximise opportunities presented to you and leave here feeling proud even though you may have started a bit disappointed,” he said.

The orientation was designed to introduce freshers to the campus facilities, study platforms and resources available to aid their studies throughout the period of stay.

Principal Librarian, Acc & Acting University Librarian, UG, Samuel Bentil Aggrey, introduced the students to the various libraries available on both campuses, available to all students, such as Balme Library, College of Health Sciences Library, Accra City Campus Library, African Studies Library, Business School, Noguchi and Faculty/Departmental Libraries, among other Hall Libraries.

He also touched on a very important topic – plagiarism, which refers to claiming someone else’s work as one’s own. He described it as a serious crime in academia; hence, the need to “avoid plagiarism – always acknowledge sources by citing and referencing them correctly; or you may be in breach of copyright law too,” he said.

He urged the students to make the library their home, both online and in person.

Head of the ICT Department, Mawuli Togbor, also shared valuable information with students on how to keep their information secure from cyberattacks and online impersonation.

The one-on-one interactive sessions with the students also focused on the critical link between academic pursuit, real-world economic awareness and professional development.

Ecobank staff also took the opportunity to provide students with financial literacy education and account activation exercises, offering various digital access tools for their convenience.

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