MTN Ghana, in collaboration with the University of Ghana (UG) and the Defarmercist Group Limited, has jointly commissioned a vegetable hub of excellence at the University of Ghana.
The commissioning of the hub, which is designed to empower Ghanaian youth with modern farming techniques and agribusiness skills to reduce unemployment and improve food security, took place at the UG farms and brought together leading voices from academia, governance, and the corporate world.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, emphasized the need to normalize the use of technology and digital innovations in farming.
He noted that farming without technology is equivalent to gambling, highlighting the financial risks associated with agriculture that relies solely on nature.
“If you don’t have technology, you’re gambling, you’re hoping the weather, you’re hoping insects, things are not going to destroy it, animals. When you bring technology in, you allow yourself to be a lot more focused and also help you to distribute your products,” he said.
He also called on students and future beneficiaries to seize the opportunity and make full use of the facility, describing them as digital trailblazers equipped with the tools, technology, and expertise needed to drive an agricultural revolution.
“I urge you to seize this opportunity. You are the digital trailblazers who will lead Ghana’s agricultural revolution. With the tools, technology, and expertise available here, you can turn agriculture into not just a business, but a rewarding and exciting venture. So you need to look at it through that lens.”
Delivering his address, the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development at the University of Ghana, Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante, urged students to approach this initiative with discipline, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility, explaining that this opportunity provides them with a platform to contribute meaningful solutions to the country’s food-related problems.
“This hub is more than a training center. It is a launch pad. The skills you acquire here will not only position you to succeed individually, but also to contribute solutions to some of the pressing challenges facing food systems globally. Approach this opportunity with discipline, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility.”
The GH₵3 million project, described as MTN Ghana’s first major investment in agriculture, is a five-acre facility featuring three greenhouses, training spaces, a 24kW solar power system, two boreholes, four water storage tanks, drip irrigation with digital valves and timers, as well as open-field beds equipped with mulching and flowering systems. The project has also created 10 new jobs.
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Story by Kwadwo Owusu Anane | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Gabriel Tecco Mensah
