The coming decades are key for young Africans to position themselves well to take advantage of the opportunities around us in order to create a livelihood, do business and grow. The alternative is a bleak future.

Grant and support is currently restricted and would probably run out soon. It is already increasingly challenging to get a job, as offers are limited and job seekers are abundant. The way forward is to create jobs for yourselves and for others. It is incredibly rewarding to take the difficult steps now, building an idea from the ground and seeing it flourish.

This book is therefore to inform young entrepreneurs on existing business opportunities in West Africa, provoke imagination, and stimulate even better business ideas. It is intended to encourage you to choose a livelihood. It has a degree of knowhow, a brief description of a project idea, raw material and machinery/equipment/ tool requirements, cost of implementing the project, and a clear indication of the potential returns that could be derived from a project.

It is imperative to point out that the estimated required capital for the projects are computed under given conditions, so the stated initial investment does not necessarily have to be exactly the capital needed to establish the chosen business venture.