By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, August 13, GNA – Speakers at the 2024 International Youth Day have re-echoed the importance of integrating appropriate digital technologies into agriculture to make it more attractive to the youth.
Modern trends in agriculture could create more jobs for the teeming youth and address the unemployment challenge that persisted in Africa.
Professor Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice-Chancellor, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), one of the speakers, said it was important to also focus on agriculture and agri-business to integrate appropriate digital technologies for creation of jobs for our youth.
She pointed out that, lack of innovation and modernization had been making agriculture not attractive enough for the youth.
It was therefore necessary to change the narrative by leveraging digital innovation to revitalize agriculture making it not only profitable but also very smart.
Prof. Mrs. Dickson was speaking at the 2024 International Youth Day organized by the Mastercard Foundation in Partnership with Agri-Impact Limited, in Kumasi.
It was held under the theme “Revolutionizing Agriculture through Digital Innovations to Create Jobs for Youth.”
Prof. Mrs. Dickson noted that nurturing the school farms in senior high schools must no longer be seen as a form of punishment to inject discipline into students.
It must present an opportunity to guide and train students to enjoy, love and explore their creativity to improve productivity, future status, and businesses in agriculture.
She used the occasion to commend Agri-Impact and partners for establishing 10 greenhouses on KNUST campus for the youth to use as study models and creating a lot of jobs.
Prof. Mrs. Dickson noted that the KNUST was committed to support the youth in using digital tools and innovations to expand and change the agricultural phase.
On his part, Mr. Daniel Acquaye, Group Chief Execution Officer (CEO), Agri- Impact Limited, observed that Ghana’s agricultural productivity had been one of the lowest in the world and it was time to inject modern trends to maximize yields.
He said Mastercard Foundation together with other implementing partners had supported in rolling out a programme of which his outfit was a beneficiary.
According to him, through a programme dubbed “Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth” (HAPPY), which aims to create about 326,000 jobs in four agricultural value chains – rice, soya, tomatoes and poultry, most Ghanaian youth had converted the demands of these commodities into opportunities.
Mr. Acquaye said it was time more youth got involved in modernized agriculture to help reduce the importation of food crops.
Nana Owusu Achau, CEO Agrokings, urged schools in Ghana to start farming to feed their institutions, buttressing that in doing these, the country would see transformation in the school’s systems and the economy at large.
Prof. Eric Asante Appau, Director, KNUST E-Learning Center, said digital transformation was the order of the day and youth must embrace change to better their lives and transform societies.
GNA