The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) and Mastercard Foundation have equipped 1,200 artisans, including 58 persons with disabilities, with precision quality skills to formalize Ghana’s informal sector.
Graduates from 13 batches across Greater Accra received certificates at the National Theatre, alongside customized support equipment like wheelchairs, industrial sewing machines, and hairdryers for PWD entrepreneurs.
DTI founder Constance Swaniker called the initiative transformative for a sector employing millions but plagued by inconsistent standards.
“Precision quality unlocks our informal economy’s true potential,” she declared, urging graduates to become ambassadors of excellence in trades from fabrication to beauty. The training blended technical skills with business formalization support from partners like Fidelity Bank and the Registrar-General’s Department.
Samuel Ocran from the Business Registration Office issued a blunt warning: unregistered businesses miss government contracts and loans. Fidelity Bank’s Daniel Amankwa Aboagye echoed this, stressing registration avoids legal risks and growth barriers.
The ceremony capped months of intensive workshops teaching artisans to integrate world-class standards a step toward making “Ghanaian craftsmanship” synonymous with global competitiveness.
