Stanbic Incubator Executive Urges Youth to Leverage Targeted Initiatives
The Manager of the Stanbic Business Incubator, Hamza Mumuni, has urged young entrepreneurs to actively leverage targeted youth-focused initiatives to sharpen their skills, strengthen their businesses, and position themselves for growth in emerging technology sectors.
Mr. Mumuni made this call during a panel discussion at the maiden edition of the 2026 Drone Ignite Africa Summit, held at the Kempinski Hotel, Gold Coast City, Accra. The summit brought together key stakeholders within Africa’s technology and innovation ecosystem.
Speaking on the topic, “Empowering Youth Entrepreneurship in the Drones, AI and Robotics Economy,” Mr. Mumuni emphasized that the future of Africa’s digital transformation rests heavily on the capacity, creativity and resilience of its youth.
“There are enormous opportunities when young people actively participate in innovation-driven sectors,” he noted. “I encourage the youth to take full advantage of programs specifically designed for them. These initiatives help sharpen skills, provide direction, and connect entrepreneurs to the right ecosystem players who can support their growth.”
Mr. Mumuni stressed that capacity building remains the bedrock of every successful enterprise, particularly in rapidly evolving industries such as drones, artificial intelligence and robotics. “Training is critical. Capacity building forms the foundation of every resilient business,” he explained. “Entrepreneurs must understand their markets, refine their value propositions, and continuously build the technical and business skills necessary to remain competitive.”
According to him, youth-focused initiatives not only polish raw talent but also transition young innovators into professional, structured business environments. He highlighted that beyond technical expertise, entrepreneurs must develop strong business development and pitching skills.
“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.
He further noted that structured incubation and acceleration programs play a critical role in preparing startups to access funding and engage commercial banks with confidence. He noted that “In the entrepreneurial journey, businesses require mentorship, access to networks, funding opportunities and strategic guidance. When these elements come together, we build enterprises that are sustainable and investment-ready.”
The Stanbic Business Incubator is a purpose-driven initiative by Stanbic Bank Ghana designed to support startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in building strong, scalable and sustainable businesses. Since its establishment in 2019, the Incubator has supported over 20 thousand entrepreneurs and SMEs (women and youth) through more than 500 curated workshops, pitch sessions, mentorship clinics and networking events. The initiative focuses on business formalization, financial literacy, capacity building, market access, ecosystem support services (Infrastructure & facilities) and leadership development, creating an enabling environment where businesses can thrive sustainably.
The 2026 Drone Ignite Africa Summit was dedicated to accelerating the adoption and impact of drone, AI and robotics technologies across the continent. It was held under the theme “Drone Innovation, African Impact, Global Momentum”. Discussions centered on unlocking the transformative power of drone technology across critical sectors including mining, agriculture, logistics, healthcare, security and infrastructure development.
Picture: Hamza Mumuni, Manager - Business Incubator, Business and Commercial Banking, Stanbic Bank Ghana.