Published: 14 Nov 2016 Source: University Relations Office (URO)
The best sector of the economy today through which one can easily become a millionaire is the agribusiness sector. This is because there is no sector of the economy better positioned for sustainability, food security, employment and wealth creation since human beings will continue to eat.
Samuel Kwame Ntim Adu, The Chief Executive Officer of Yedent Agro Processing Company, made these observations at the maiden Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Clinic held by the Agribusiness Students Association of Ghana (ABSAG) of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Mr. Ntim Adu advised students not to look down on themselves but confidently use their knowledge to empower themselves, feed the country, create businesses and prosper as there abounded enormous opportunities in the agricultural sector.
In her welcome address, Ms. Ababio Maame Arko Bensah, President of ABSAG, noted that the agribusiness clinic was aimed at equipping students with the necessary information from experts about agriculture as an entrepreneurial venture and not only as a discipline for academic study and to motivate students to become “agripreneurs” upon graduation.
Professor Richard Akromah, Provost of CANR, stated that it was heart-warming to hear from industrialists who had made use of knowledge they acquired at KNUST to become employers upon graduation and not employees. He thanked the speakers and hoped that what they imparted to the students would go a long way to help them in the world of work.
Prof. Akromah stated that it was time for people to accept that agriculture was multifaceted and provided employment for the populace. He said the difficulty might be with starting their own businesses and that was the essence of the event. He therefore encouraged the students to listen carefully to the speakers to ensure that the objectives of the programme were achieved.
Allistair Djimatey, Corporate Affairs Manager of Blue Skies Limited, in his presentation, said one category of people who had ready market was the agriculturists because the farmer fed the whole nation and it was the surest way to economic development. He therefore challenged the agribusiness students to add value to themselves. He said, “Ghana is blessed with agricultural resources but till we add value we will go nowhere and will continue to be where we are.”
Mr. Djimatey also urged the students to anticipate challenges and to see them as business opportunities to solve problems and through the solutions create wealth. He said as a country struggling to feed itself, agriculture should be taught as a core subject in basic and secondary schools. He continued that the land tenure system was one of the reasons for low agricultural production as most traditional rulers readily released land for real estate development rather than for agricultural purposes. He cautioned that if this trend continued, there would be a food security challenge.
Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, Kosmos Energy, KIC Agribusiness Director, stated that the activities of agriculturists affected everyone and that should be enough motivation for the students to venture into agribusinesses. Mr. Gyan-Kesse informed the students about some initiatives by his outfit to help young agripreneurs. He encouraged them to apply to receive the necessary financial and technical support to set up their businesses.