The National Service Authority (NSA) and Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited have launched a transformative partnership aimed at tackling youth unemployment through intensive agribusiness training, signaling a major shift in how agriculture is perceived and practiced among young Ghanaians.
The programme, part of the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) initiative, seeks to train over 4,000 young people; primarily National Service Personnel (NSP); in modern, smart agriculture over a three-year period. Already in its first year, more than 2,000 participants have enrolled.
During a working visit to the Agribusiness Training Centre at Dawhenya in the Ningo Prampram District, Dr. Felix Mawuli Kamassah, President of Maphlix Trust Ghana, highlighted the initiative’s entrepreneurial focus.
“We are not just training the youth to grow crops. We are building entrepreneurs,” he said. “They are learning the business of agriculture; from production, processing, and packaging to accessing markets. The biggest advantage is that we already have the market, both locally and for export.”
He emphasized that the five-month training is hands-on and inclusive, welcoming graduates from various disciplines; accountants, engineers, and teachers among them. “We want them to believe they can own agribusinesses and employ others within a year,” he noted, adding that some participants will have opportunities to visit processing factories and explore export avenues.
The programme integrates financial literacy, business planning, crop cost analysis, and smart greenhouse farming. “This is not the old school agriculture,” Dr. Kamassah stressed. “It is climate-smart, mechanised farming with guaranteed markets and modern tools.”
He called on policymakers and donors to scale up investment in similar initiatives, saying, “This aligns perfectly with the government’s 24-hour economy and food self-sufficiency agenda. But we need logistical partnerships and financial support to make it national.”
For her part, Dr. Elizabeth L. B. Zotorvie, NSA’s Director of Policy, Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, and Evaluation (PPBME), described the programme as a “practical solution” to post-service unemployment, especially among young graduates.
“We are preparing them for life after service—giving them the tools and training to be self-sufficient,” she said. With a goal of ensuring that 70% of trainees are women, she noted the programme is intentionally designed to bridge the gender gap in agriculture.
“Women are not just planting and harvesting anymore. They are being trained in tractor handling, agribusiness management, and processing,” she explained, adding that cultural barriers such as limited access to land for women are being addressed through advocacy and alternative farming models.
To support land access, the programme employs two models: the Enclave Model, where NSA-owned land is allocated to trainees, and the Anchor Farmer Model, where private landowners offer land and mentorship.
Dr. Zotorvie noted that many participants have already started drawing business plans, registering ventures, and securing early market orders. “We’re cultivating a new generation of agribusiness leaders. The transformation in their confidence and ambition is remarkable,” she said.
The Dawhenya training centre, complete with greenhouses, washing machines, and decent accommodation, challenges stereotypes about farming.
“I wash by hand at home,” Dr. Zotorvie said with a smile, “but here they use washing machines. The environment proves farming doesn’t have to be dirty or hard. This is the future.”
Participants also praised the NSA for the opportunity, calling the programme life-changing. As youth unemployment remains a national concern, the NSA-Maphlix model offers a compelling example of agriculture as a tool for empowerment and economic transformation.
