MTN Ghana Cuts Sod for GHS 3 Million Vegetable Centre to Empower Youth in Agribusiness

A major boost for Ghana’s youth employment drive is underway as MTN Ghana, in partnership with the University of Ghana’s Faculty of Agriculture and advisory group Defarmercist, breaks ground for a GHS 3 million Vegetable Centre of Excellence at the University of Ghana Farms in Legon.

The bold initiative is set to train over 300 young people in modern, vocational agriculture over the next two years, equipping them with hands-on skills in crop production, greenhouse farming, marketing, and agribusiness management. Graduates will be supported to launch their agribusinesses with access to land, farming tools, and market linkages.

“This project is about turning agriculture into a real engine of opportunity,” said Adwoa Wiafe, MTN Ghana’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, at the sod-cutting ceremony. “We are focused on practical solutions that tackle youth unemployment head-on.”

The centre will open its doors to both students and the wider community, with training scheduled during university vacations to allow maximum participation. Facilities will include cutting-edge greenhouses and open-field plots designed for both learning and production.

Wiafe noted the project expands on MTN’s earlier success in training rural women in digital farming and now scales up to target a wider demographic. “This is not just about learning to plant—it’s about making agriculture viable and profitable. We want to cut down imports, stabilize prices, and create real wealth locally,” she added.

Charles Agyeman, General Manager of Defarmercist, outlined the two-phase training model: intensive greenhouse and field production followed by commercial agribusiness management. He stressed the centre’s global outlook, integrating best practices from countries like Israel and the Netherlands.

“By the time they graduate, these trainees will be ready to hit the ground running, whether in Ghana or on the international stage,” Agyeman said.

Professor Eric Nartey, Dean of Agriculture at the University of Ghana, welcomed the initiative as a landmark step for practical agricultural education.

He also called on MTN to extend its impact by supporting smart classrooms for rural and underserved communities.

The Vegetable Centre of Excellence is expected to transform agricultural education, bolster local vegetable production, and deliver long-term economic benefits by creating sustainable livelihoods for Ghana’s youth.