Overcoming financial challenges through agriculture: the inspiring journey of Tahiru Sule Mohammed and his team
Financial constraints remain a significant barrier for many university students. Every year, some are unable to sit for exams due to unpaid school fees while others move from one friend's room to another, a practice commonly referred to as "perching," because they cannot afford accommodation.
Tahiru Sule Mohammed, a final-year Agricultural Economics student at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has faced similar struggles.
In his first year, he had to 'perch' with a friend and work at a construction site just to afford food.
Initially, he expected his programme of study to involve hands-on fieldwork, but he soon realized that the course was largely theoretical.
Determined to gain practical experience and alleviate his financial struggles, Tahiru shared his idea of acquiring farmland with his friends.
They supported him and helped him approach the former Dean of their Faculty, who granted them an acre of land at Anwomaso, a town in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Together, they began cultivating maize, rice, and vegetables.
“When we started, financial challenges were overwhelming. We didn’t even have money for transportation to the farm. Many friends who joined initially gave up, and I almost did too. But I realized that challenges are part of life, and perseverance pays off,” Tahiru said.
Through persistence, Tahiru's story changed.
“This initiative has helped me to pay my fees and accommodation without struggle. It has benefited not only me but also my friends who joined later.
Even during vacations, we work on the farm because we know what we gain from it. People consult us for advice on crop issues and even hire us to assist with their agricultural projects,” he revealed.
Despite his schedule, Tahiru has excelled academically.
“Sometimes I miss lectures, but I still perform better in exams than some students who attend classes regularly. My practical knowledge of our courses has been invaluable, and I’ve never trailed a course,” he added.
Abigail Ankayi, a final-year Horticulture student, also benefitted from Tahiru’s initiative.
“In my first year, I noticed people farming around campus. I wanted to try something practical but had no means of doing that. Fortunately, I met Tahiru, and now I’m able to pay for my fees and accommodation by myself and excel academically too. Last semester for instance, we studied vegetable production, and I excelled with ease,” Abigail shared.
Emmanuel Kyremeh Kwame Modest and Gabriel Mensah, both from the Department of Crop Science, joined the project after facing setbacks in their plans to establish a student training centre.
"In my second year, my group encouraged me to run for Faculty President, so I campaigned with the idea of establishing a student training centre. However, many believed it wasn’t feasible, arguing that we couldn’t manage both farming and academics simultaneously.
As a result, I lost the election. After losing a second time, I approached one of my lecturers to share our vision. He supported us by providing a piece of land, which is where we met Tahiru, and together, we’ve built what we have today," he said.
"In less than five years, we envision ourselves managing 1,000 acres of land, engaging in diverse agricultural practices. We plan to seek support from student bodies, the university, and the nation as a whole because, as a country, we cannot continue to rely on imports for our survival," Gabriel added.
Prof. Fred Nimoh, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, commended Tahiru and his team for the initiative.
"The Faculty's vision is to promote practical training, and we believe that when students take the initiative themselves, it can have a significant impact on future generations while also easing the financial burden on both students and their parents.
One of our annual activities is providing food support to students, and initiatives like this can lower costs, encourage student production, and contribute to food security in Ghana and beyond. I am  impressed and happy by what they have accomplished," he remarked.
The team has installed a  Ghc 7,000 irrigation system and secured 500 acres of land at Nsuta from OT Farms to expand their operations.
Tahiru and his team’s dedication has not only improved their financial situations but also laid a foundation for impactful agricultural practices in Ghana.
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