Panel Discussion

The panel discussion was led by the EDI team of trainers. Participants are different stakeholders in the city, those responsible for enhancing entrepreneurship and innovation, like the city and woreda enterprise, woreda administration, woreda finance, and woreda prosperity party office.  The panel discussion highlighted key challenges hindering entrepreneurship and innovation among the Agena community. Participants identified negative attitudes toward entrepreneurship, such as fear of failure and a dependency mindset, as major obstacles to creativity and business initiative. The discussion also pointed to restrictive government rules and regulations that complicate business registration and limit youth-led startups. Additionally, limited access to finance remains a critical barrier, with few funding mechanisms available for student and youth entrepreneurs. Finally, the absence of a conducive innovation ecosystem, including weak linkages with industries, inadequate mentorship, and a lack of incubation support, was emphasized as a major factor reducing entrepreneurial success. The panel concluded that addressing these bottlenecks requires collaborative action between the college, local government, and financial institutions to build a supportive environment for innovation and youth entrepreneurship.x