Mr Franklin Owusu-Karikari, the Chief Executive Officer, NEIP, said the project was part of government’s effort to create jobs for the youth and to increase food production.

He expressed the hope that about 3,000 people would be employed under the greenhouse project this year.

Mr Owusu-Karikari said this on Tuesday in Accra in his presentation at the 69th Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC).

Mr Owusu-Karikari noted that, the project, which would create 10,000 direct jobs; 10 sustainable jobs per dome, would also create 4,000 indirect sustainable jobs through producing raw materials and installation of greenhouse domes.

He also mentioned the transfer of skills and new technology in fruits and vegetable production and improved standards in farming and marketing of fruits and vegetables.

A greenhouse is a structure where crops such as tomato, green beans and sweet pepper are grown under controlled micro environment.

This method is used to protect the plants from adverse climatic condition such as cold, wind, precipitation, excessive radiation, extreme temperature, insects and disease.

In greenhouse technology, the environmental conditions are modified using greenhouse so that one can grow any plant in any place at any time by providing suitable environmental conditions with less labour.

He said the project was a deliberate and ambitious approach to farm fruits and vegetables in a controlled environment; adding that, “it is a farm activity laced with technology, not dependent on rain but with amazing financial rewards”.

He said the greenhouse project had high impact in the sustainable jobs space and there was already an off-take from several companies both local and abroad.

Mr Owusu-Karikari said the project beneficiaries would be trained for two years in its management before it would be handed over to them; stating that, so far 75 greenhouse domes had been constructed at Dawhyenya in the Greater Accra Region.

The NEIP is a flagship policy initiative of the government of Ghana with the primary objective of providing an integrated national support for start-ups and small businesses.

He said NEIP primarily focused on providing business development services; startup incubators and funding for young businesses to enable them to grow and become successful.

He noted that the ultimate aim of NEIP was to enable entrepreneurs to empower innovation and accelerate job creation for Ghana’s teeming unemployed youth.

Mr Owusu-Karikari said the National Entrepreneurship and Innovations Fund was dedicated to youth in entrepreneurship.

He noted that the fund was a Special Purpose Vehicle to fund Young businesses as they could not access funding from banks and other financial institutions.

The ANYSC, which is being organised by the School of Continuing and Distance Education (SCDE) of the College of Education, University of Ghana is on the theme “Job Creation for Accelerated National Development: The Role of the Private Sector”.

The annual event provides a platform for a dispassionate discussion of important issues of national and international concern.

The week-long event, which was officially opened by Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is under the auspices of Komos Energy, Vodafone Ghana, Goil, Voltic, Daily Graphic, Prudential Bank and the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana.