March 19, 2018 - World Bank Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Sandie Okoro, visited Ashesi as part of her 4-day visit to Ghana. 

The trip was to help her gain a deeper appreciation for the bank’s projects on the ground, including the Ghana Climate Innovation Center (GCIC), a climate innovation hub, housed at Ashesi. 

"It is important that not only do I get the stories of beneficiaries of World Bank’s financing," she said. "But also, to engage directly with them to get a deep sense of the kind of impact they are making within their communities."

As part of her visit to Ashesi, she met and engaged with Ashesi President, Patrick Awuah, touching on topics ranging from environmental sustainability, gender balance to artificial intelligence.

“We take our commitment to issues around environmental sustainability seriously,” said Patrick Awuah. “Also, from day one we have been very committed towards gender balance and are taking steps towards a very intentional project for us to attract girls to Ashesi.”

Following her meeting with Patrick, she spent time at the GCIC, interacting with entrepreneurs on various levels of impact their work is creating for their respective community. Meeting with beneficiaries of the GCIC, she engaged with them, learning about their projects and impact to Ghana’s climate.

“Indeed listening to them, I am very impressed,” she said. “Most particularly about the fact that many of them are using local materials to solve social challenges.”

About the GCIC
Launched in 2015, the climate center aims at providing support to over 100 entrepreneurs from across Ghana who are developing profitable and locally-appropriate solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The center primarily will provide provision of office space and facilities, business skills training and mentoring, proof of concept grants, funding facilitation, market growth and market access support services, technical assistance with technology and product development, and policy advocacy and regulatory support services.