The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is partnering with the National Service Scheme (NSS) to advance Ghana’s youth empowerment and food security drive under the “Feed Ghana” initiative.
The collaboration seeks to equip National Service personnel with practical, hands-on skills in agriculture, agribusiness, and related fields.
It also aims to contribute to Ghana’s long-term goal of food self-sufficiency and reducing the country’s dependence on imported food.
Speaking during the engagement, the Director-General of the National Service Authority, Miss Ruth Dela Seddoh, highlighted the shared vision between KNUST and the NSS.
“We believe the vision of KNUST and the National Service Scheme is in tandem. It’s important that we collaborate on this agenda to move our country forward.
Ghanaians are beginning to appreciate the importance of eating what we grow, not just because of the freshness and quality, but also because it gives us control over our food sources,” she said.
Miss Seddoh emphasized the need to empower young people with the skills and resources required to actively participate in Ghana’s agricultural transformation.
“We are open to all forms of collaboration that support the Feed Ghana agenda. The goal is to empower young people with the right skills, encourage them to value agriculture, and enable them to take charge of how we feed ourselves as a nation. In doing so, we create meaningful employment opportunities,” she added.
She further noted that beyond training, the NSS hopes to provide financial and technical support to young entrepreneurs venturing into agriculture and its value chains.
“The most important thing for us is to bring on board as many young people as possible, equip them with the skills they need, and, where possible, support them with start-up capital to establish poultry farms and other agricultural ventures,” she explained.
The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Fred Nimoh, reaffirmed KNUST’s readiness to support the partnership with the necessary technical expertise and resources.
“We are fully prepared, in terms of training and capacity building. We have the expertise in fisheries, vegetable production, and other agricultural enterprises. We are also ready to provide land resources and other support systems to make this partnership successful. It’s not just about feeding Ghana; it’s also about ensuring that young people gain decent employment through agriculture,” he noted.
The Provost of the College, Prof. Dadson Awunyo-Vitor, described the collaboration as timely and aligned with the College’s mission to provide practical, research-driven solutions.
“This is the right time for us to collaborate. We are teaching and researching real solutions, and students, whether in agriculture or not, get inspired when they see these initiatives in action. If we want to attract more people into agriculture, it must start here. We are committed to supporting the National Service Scheme to make this vision a reality,” he stressed.
He added that both institutions share a common mandate to serve the national interest and are excited to work together to strengthen Ghana’s agricultural sector.
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