These sentiments were echoed at the Vegetable Centre of Excellence, University of Ghana, during a familiarisation tour with partners of the Nkabom Collaborative. The tour formed part of activities scheduled by UG Nkabom, hosts of the second edition of the Nkabom Collaborative Networking Day.

Conducting the group around the site, co-founder of Defarmercist Group Limited, Alex Afari, highlighted the game-changing potential of such precision irrigation to consistent all year-round farming. “Rainfall is unpredictable,” he noted, “but with this system, farmers can be assured of water every day. That is what makes farming serious for young people.”

Mr. Afari, whose company is working in partnership with the Centre, further stressed the need for the youth desirous of pursuing careers in farming to obtain the requisite training in order to approach the venture as a viable, and profitable business. He disclosed that in-class training formed a critical component of the holistic exposure they gave to students.

“The good thing about the training we offer here is that we look at the business case for embarking on every farming procedure. We guide the students to ask and answer questions such as how much should be invested, what the profit margins should be, how best the crops should be managed, to attain the forecast profit margins.”

As the tour progressed, the entourage made up of representatives from partner institutions, namely Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS); University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD); Koforidua Technical University (KTU); and Ashesi University, were shown an intricate irrigation system that guaranteed a constant water supply to the plants. “Each of the four tanks here has the capacity to hold 20,000 litres of water, and together with two back-up boreholes, automated valves, and solar power, we are able to achieve precision in irrigation.”

The tour of key sites at the University of Ghana included stops at the Institute of Applied Science and Technology Greenhouse, as well as the Centre for Disability Studies and Advocacy. The networking and familiarisation opportunity culminated in an insightful yet interactive and fun-packed session at the School of Public Health. This featured team-building activities, presentations from the Pillar leads and the Careers and Counselling Directorate, and an overview of UG’s vision, mission, and strategic priorities.

Sharing his experience, the project lead for UHAS observed, “This has been eye-opening. I see potential areas for deepened collaboration, and upon my return these are areas we will explore.”

The Networking Day is envisioned as a bi-monthly meeting of the institutions in the Nkabom Collaborative - Mastercard Foundation, University of Ghana, McGill University, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Koforidua Technical University, Ashesi University, University of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ghana Association of Industries.

It seeks to strengthen their ties while enabling knowledge sharing as they work to transform Ghana’s agri-food systems by empowering youth across the food and nutrition value chain. The maiden edition was hosted by Ashesi University in July, this year.