MTN Ghana Foundation’s GH¢3 million Vegetable Centre of Excellence has reached 70 percent completion, with officials projecting a year-end handover that will provide modern agricultural training for over 300 beneficiaries annually.
Foundation representatives, university officials, and partner organization Defarmercist Group inspected progress at the University of Ghana farms on Thursday, October 10, five months after groundbreaking ceremonies in May. The facility aims to bridge the gap between theoretical agricultural education and practical farming skills among graduates.
Adwoa Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer of MTN Ghana, emphasized the centre’s role in transforming agricultural education. “Too many graduates leave school with theoretical knowledge but without practical experience. Here, they will gain hands-on training that turns knowledge into opportunity,” she stated during the site visit.
The five-acre facility currently features three greenhouse structures, solar panel installations, and fully equipped training rooms and offices. The centre will serve as a training ground for at least 300 young people over the next two years, focusing on modern vocational agriculture techniques.
Training modules will cover seedling nursing, smart irrigation installation and scheduling, transplanting, fertigation management, pest and disease control, and post-harvest handling. The curriculum combines classroom instruction with practical field experience in greenhouse farming and crop production.
Samuel Agyemang, Co-Founder of Defarmercist Group, highlighted technology integration as key to attracting young people to agriculture. “We are introducing smart solutions like automated irrigation and greenhouse systems that make farming less labor-intensive. The students will see how technology transforms farming into a profitable and sustainable business,” he explained.
Beyond University of Ghana students, the program will extend training opportunities to unemployed youth and smallholder farmers seeking to scale their operations. This broader reach reflects MTN Ghana Foundation’s strategy of addressing youth unemployment through agricultural entrepreneurship.
Wiafe positioned the project as a potential model for replication nationwide. “Our vision is to create a model that can be replicated across the country, supporting Ghana’s fight against youth unemployment and contributing to food security,” she said, framing the initiative within broader economic development objectives.
The project operates as a two-year pilot program, after which its impact will be assessed for possible expansion to other institutions and regions. This phased approach allows for evaluation and adjustment before committing to larger-scale implementation.
The partnership brings together MTN Ghana Foundation, the University of Ghana’s Faculty of Agriculture, and Defarmercist, a smart agronomic service provider, combining corporate philanthropy, academic resources, and private sector agricultural expertise.
Whether the centre will meaningfully address youth unemployment or food security challenges remains to be seen. Ghana has numerous agricultural training programs, yet youth unemployment persists and food imports continue growing. The project’s success will depend on factors beyond training, including access to land, credit, markets, and supportive agricultural policies.
The emphasis on greenhouse farming and smart irrigation systems may also raise questions about scalability and appropriateness for smallholder farmers who lack capital for such infrastructure. While modern techniques offer productivity gains, their relevance for resource-constrained farmers operating on small plots with minimal mechanization deserves scrutiny.
Nevertheless, the project addresses a legitimate gap in agricultural education. Many agriculture graduates lack practical farming experience, limiting their employability or ability to start their own enterprises. Providing hands-on training in modern techniques could enhance graduate preparedness for agricultural careers.
The MTN Ghana Foundation, established in 2007, has undertaken 178 major projects across health, education, and economic empowerment. This agricultural training centre represents its latest intervention in youth economic empowerment through skills development.
Completion by year end would mark relatively rapid construction for a project of this scale, suggesting efficient project management and adequate resource allocation. The 70 percent completion rate at the five-month mark indicates the timeline remains achievable barring unforeseen complications.
For now, stakeholders await the centre’s opening and initial cohort of trainees. Only after graduates enter the agricultural sector, either as employees or entrepreneurs, will the project’s true impact on youth employment and agricultural productivity become apparent.
