Osei Assibey Antwi
The Director-General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Osei Assibey Antwi has announced that the Authority aims to expand its agriculture module for national service personnel in satellite enclaves to create 320,000 dignified and rewarding jobs for the youth.
According to him, 70 percent of these jobs will be reserved for women and persons with disabilities.
Speaking at the Pentecost Conversion Centre in Kosoa in the Central Region during a two-day orientation for the second cohorts of the programme, Mr. Osei Assibey said the programme is expected to boost food production by 190,000 tons.
It is also expected to generate annual revenue exceeding $200 million, and increase agricultural productivity in rice, soybean, tomato, and poultry value chains, while reducing the importation of strategic food items by 10%.
About 500 young graduates from the country’s tertiary institutions gathered to learn the fundamentals of agribusiness.
The NSA Director-General said they would be deployed to various areas, including Sekyere Kumawu, where experts from Agri-Impact Limited— a leading agricultural business firm—will guide them.
He indicated that the module, dubbed Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY), will be implemented in collaboration with eight partners: Newage, Agric Solutions, NSA, Ghana Cares, Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Technoserve, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Jobberman.
Mr. Osei Assibey disclosed that the partnership with Agri-Impact is under the auspices of the MasterCard Foundation.
He stated that the project aims to build the capacities of 46,490 graduates to cultivate 20,000 hectares of land, creating jobs for 81,980 youth in agribusiness.
He said the programme would enhance food and nutrition security, foster rural and urban economic growth, and optimize public and private sector investments.
It will also complement other initiatives for young graduates in entrepreneurship, teaching, ICT, and similar forward-thinking fields, the NSA boss indicated.
“These pillars, which serve as the foundation of our strategies, are far more than traditional career pathways; they are the engines of job creation, innovation, and national prosperity,” he asserted.
He emphasised the untapped potential of the country’s agricultural sector, noting that the HAPPY programme seeks to unlock it.
“As newly posted National Service Personnel, some of you will find yourselves working on arable lands in rural and peri-urban areas. This is not just farming; it is nation-building. Cultivating these lands will boost food security, create jobs, and drive economic growth,” he stressed.
By Ernest Kofi Adu
