Former Ghana President Mahama Says Thriving Agricultural Sector Can Tackle 14% Unemployment Rate

News in brief:
– Former Ghana president, John Mahama, underscored the pivotal role of a robust agricultural sector in tackling the country’s 14% unemployment rate.
– He proposed measures such as investing in infrastructure, embracing technology in farming, ensuring financial accessibility for farmers, and prioritising research and development to revitalise the sector.

Former Ghanaian President John Mahama has emphasised the crucial role of a vibrant agricultural sector in addressing the country’s 14% unemployment rate.

Mahama made these remarks during an interview with newsmen recently. He highlighted the immense potentials of agriculture in creating jobs and boosting the Ghanaian economy, calling it it’s ‘backbone’.

Improving Agriculture: Ghana needs a vibrant agric sector to solve 14% unemployment rate – John Mahama. #JoyNews pic.twitter.com/Z47TGo8FlF

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) January 4, 2024

Mahama’s comments come amidst ongoing concerns about Ghana’s high unemployment rate, which has remained a challenge for several years. He outlined several steps that could be taken to revitalise the agricultural sector and unlock its job creation potential. These measures include investing in infrastructure development and the deploying technology and digitizsation to farming practices. He also said that providing readily available access to finance for farmers and investing in research and development would take the sector to the next level.

The former president recently acquired a 600-acre land for animal rearing at Yapei in the Central Gonja district of the Savannah region. It is already being touted to be upon completion the biggest animal rearing facility in Ghana. His crop farm at Busunu in West Gonja area, is already cultivating Soya over a 400-acre land.

Meantime, the current Ghanaian government under Nana Akufo-Addo has also acknowledged the importance of agriculture in addressing unemployment. The government launched a Planting for Food and Jobs program in 2017 which aims to increase food production and create employment in the agricultural sector.

However, the program’s effectiveness has reportedly been met with mixed reviews from critics and analysts who agree that more could be done for the sector.