Gov’t Launches Agricultural Education Transformation Fund With GHS3m Seed Capital
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has launched the Agricultural Education Transformation Fund with an initial GHS3 million, describing it as a major investment in the human capital needed to transform Ghana’s agricultural sector.
Speaking at the launch at The Palms by Eagle Hotel in Airport City, Accra, Mr. Opoku said the Fund would support agricultural colleges, universities, technical institutions, research centres and other institutions responsible for training professionals for the sector.
He said the initiative was a key human-capital pillar of the government’s Feed Ghana Programme, stressing that sustainable agricultural transformation depended on skilled engineers, extension officers, researchers, technicians, entrepreneurs and agribusiness professionals.
The Minister said the Fund would help address infrastructure and capacity gaps in agricultural education, including laboratories, workshops, demonstration farms, modern machinery, digital learning tools, research and scholarships.
He announced ambitious targets to grow the Fund from its current GH¢3 million to GH¢10 million by December 2026 and GH¢100 million by 2028.
Mr. Opoku commended five Ghanaian agribusinesses—Grow For Me, AgriSolve, Farmerline, Newage Agric Solutions and Tradeline Consult—for contributing to the initial seed funding.
He said the Fund would operate under a governance framework involving a Governing Board, independent technical administration, a Securities and Exchange Commission-licensed fund manager, a custodian bank and an independent external auditor to ensure transparency and accountability.
The Minister also called on banks, pension funds, insurance companies, agribusinesses, development partners, philanthropic organisations, alumni associations and individuals to contribute to the initiative.
He urged stakeholders to support specific interventions such as laboratories, workshops, demonstration farms, agricultural machinery, digital tools, applied research, scholarships and internships.
Mr. Opoku said the government’s long-term ambition was to establish the Fund as a permanent statutory institution under the policy oversight of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Declaring the Fund officially launched, the Minister said its ultimate goal was to equip generations of Ghanaians with the knowledge and practical skills required to increase food production, transform the economy and secure Ghana’s food future.
-Overseeronline.com
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