The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) on Tuesday, 4th August 2026, welcomed 118 young Ghanaian professionals who have successfully completed postgraduate studies at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), under a scholarship programme sponsored by the Jospong Group of Companies and the African Agribusiness Consortium (AAC).
Speaking at the special welcoming event, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku described their return as a significant step towards strengthening Ghana's agricultural transformation and achieving the objectives of the Government's Feed Ghana Programme.
He noted that Ghana's agricultural sector requires highly skilled, innovative and committed young professionals capable of applying modern agricultural science, technology and management practices to improve productivity and ensure food security.
"Our country needs highly skilled, innovative and committed young professionals who are prepared to apply modern agricultural science, technology and management practices. I have no doubt that the knowledge and experience you have acquired will make a meaningful contribution to transforming agriculture in Ghana," the Minister said.
To ensure that the graduates immediately put their knowledge into practice, the Minister announced an agreement between the Ministry and the African Agribusiness Consortium to establish a 750-acre vegetable production hub. Under the arrangement, the Ministry will provide irrigated land, while AAC will supply the necessary logistics and pay the irrigation water charges for the farmers operating on the land.
"We are making available the land with the irrigation infrastructure. AAC has pledged to provide all the logistics required, and so you must show us the difference," he stated.
He further called on other private sector organisations, agribusinesses and development partners to invest in Ghana's young agricultural professionals, stressing that the Ministry remains committed to creating opportunities that will enable them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Minister expressed confidence in the graduates' abilities, pledged to visit the project site within the next year to witness the impact of their work.
He encouraged the graduates to use their knowledge and skills in building a prosperous agricultural sector, drawing inspiration from Ghana's first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who returned home after studying abroad to serve his country.
Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, reaffirmed the company's long-standing commitment to investing in people as the foundation for national development. He explained that the Group's success across Africa had been built on developing young professionals and equipping them with advanced skills and opportunities.
Speaking on behalf of the African Agribusiness Consortium, Chief Operating Officer of the Agribusiness Cluster, Dr. Adelaide Araba Siaw Agyepong said the scholarship programme was designed to produce a new generation of professionals equipped with the knowledge, discipline and practical skills needed to transform Ghana's agricultural and environmental sectors. She called for closer collaboration with the Ministry to create structured opportunities for the graduates in commercial farming, research, mechanisation and value addition.
The RUDN-Jospong scholarship programme forms part of the Jospong Group and AAC's broader commitment to developing human capital for Ghana's agriculture and environmental sectors. The graduates are expected to be progressively integrated into commercial farming, research and extension services to support the implementation of the Government's Feed Ghana Programme.
The 118 graduates comprising 88 Agronomy graduates and 30 Ecology graduates—from the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) received advanced training in crop production, soil and plant health, sustainable agriculture, climate resilience and natural resource management.