The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has reiterated the Mahama administration’s vision to boost youth employment through the transformation of the agriculture and agribusiness sectors.
Speaking during a working visit to the Ghanaian community in Iowa in the United States of America, Professor Opoku-Agyemang outlined plans by the government to generate employment opportunities for Ghana’s youthful population through the transformation of the agriculture and agribusiness sectors.
“The strategy will be many, but I only want to focus on four main areas. The first is job creation. We have a youthful population, of whom we are very proud. We know they are brilliant; all they need is a little bit of help, and how are we doing this? We are doing this on many levels, but mainly through agricultural transformation. We are also interested in agri-business as a very long chain,” she said.
She further revealed the government’s plans to utilise its flagship Women’s Development Bank as a key instrument to support these initiatives, particularly those aimed at empowering women and strengthening small and medium-scale businesses.
“The third pillar is to support the small and medium-sized businesses. Every so often, we hear we need plantations. I am not against plantations, but if that person has a small piece of land, that person deserves support.
“If all that land can do is feed children, she is doing well and needs support. Maybe at some point when we roll out our women’s development bank, you see where we are coming from,” she added.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang is in the United States to participate in the 2025 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, a flagship global event organised by the World Food Prize Foundation.
The annual dialogue, held in Des Moines, Iowa, brings together global leaders, policymakers, scientists, and innovators to discuss strategies for addressing world hunger and strengthening global food systems.
