The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, has called for the integration of modern technology and practical digital skills into agricultural education to prepare young professionals for the future of Ghana’s agriculture.
He made the call on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the Kwadaso Agricultural College in Kumasi when advanced agricultural technology equipment and tools were handed over to five Agricultural Colleges under the Strengthening Digital Agriculture Skills Initiative.
The initiative is being implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE), the five beneficiary colleges and other stakeholders, with funding support from the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The beneficiary colleges are Kwadaso, Wenchi, Ejura, Damongo and Ohawu Agricultural Colleges.
Hon. Eric Opoku said the intervention went beyond the provision of equipment, describing it as an investment in knowledge, skills and innovation.
“What we are witnessing today goes beyond the handover of agricultural equipment. It represents an investment in knowledge, skills, innovation and, most importantly, in the young men and women who will shape the future of Ghanaian agriculture.”
He said the equipment would expose students to technologies that are increasingly becoming important in modern farming, including data-driven decision-making, soil and moisture monitoring, weather information and precision agriculture.
The equipment include soil testers, moisture meters, greenhouse environmental control kits, IoT sensor kits, weather stations, GPS devices, computers, 15 mini drones, drone flight and agricultural spraying simulators, and agricultural data-processing software.
The Minister stressed that agricultural education must evolve with the sector.
“We cannot address the agricultural challenges of today using only the tools and approaches of yesterday,” he said.
He urged the principals and instructors of the beneficiary colleges to integrate the equipment into teaching and practical training and ensure that students had meaningful opportunities to use the technologies.
The Minister expressed appreciation to WFP, KOICA, GI-KACE, CTVET and other partners for supporting the initiative.
Addressing the gathering, the Country Director of KOICA Ghana, Mr. Dong Wan Woo said the handover formed part of the KOICA-WFP partnership on Youth Economic Empowerment through Digitalization for Resilience in Food and Nutrition Security and Improved Livelihoods.
"The real value of this equipment depends on how it is used," he said, encouraging the colleges to integrate the tools into practical training and maintain them well. He added that Korea's own development experience had shown "the importance of investing in people, skills and technology," and that KOICA remains committed to working with the Government and people of Ghana.
He said agriculture was changing rapidly and that young agricultural professionals needed practical exposure to modern technologies in addition to classroom knowledge.
Mr. Dong encouraged the colleges to make effective use of the equipment and maintain them properly to maximise their benefits to students.
The Project Coordinator, Mr. Kyore Yoo, announced that the initiative had identified gaps in digital infrastructure, learning resources and practical exposure to emerging agricultural technologies across the five colleges.
He said GI-KACE, working with CTVET and other stakeholders, had developed a competency-based Digital Agriculture Training Programme covering smart agriculture, digital literacy, data-driven decision-making, precision agriculture and digital agribusiness.
He encouraged students to embrace technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and problem-solving, noting that they were being prepared not only to participate in agriculture but also to help shape its future.
“You are not simply being trained to participate in agriculture as it exists today. You are being prepared to help shape the agriculture that Ghana will depend on tomorrow.”
It was also announced that a five-day Training of Trainers would be organised for instructors and tutors, followed by specialised training in drone simulators and data-processing software. Instructors would also undertake practical drone training through the University of Mines and Technology to support certification by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority.