The Government of Ghana is set to collaborate with the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) to commercialise seed production as part of efforts to boost agricultural transformation and reduce food imports.

The Director of the Presidential Initiative for Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, hosted a delegation from WACCI, a research organisation under the University of Ghana, at the Office of the President Annex in Accra.

The team, led by Professor Eric Danquah, delivered a presentation on WACCI’s Journey and Ghana’s Resetting Agenda Harnessing STI for Agricultural Transformation.

The focus of the meeting highlighted key areas such as reduction in food imports by 50%, increase agriculture’s contribution to GDP to $28 billion by 2028 and $50 billion by 2034, create 20,000 direct agribusiness and over 190,000 indirect jobs, reduce post-harvest losses to below 5% by 2028 and to ensure 30% of farmers adopt climate-smart agriculture by 2028.

“The message is clear without bold intervention, Ghana risks worsening food insecurity and economic instability,” Prof. Danquah stated.

To achieve these ambitious goals, WACCI outlined four strategic pillars: Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI); Agro-Industrialization and Value Addition; Human Capital Development; and Climate Resilience and Sustainability.

Dr. Otokunor welcomed WACCI’s proposals and emphasised the government’s commitment to working closely with the research organization to scale up agricultural innovations.

“We are ready to explore opportunities for commercialising WACCI’s research outputs to ensure long-term sustainability. This partnership will be a game-changer in Ghana’s agricultural sector,” Dr. Otokunor assured.