WFP, KOICA launch digital technology project for youth in agric

A project to enhance access to digital technology for the youth and empower them to build resilience in the food system has been launched in Accra. 

Dubbed “Youth economic empowerment through digitalisation for resilience in food and nutrition security and improved livelihoods programme”, the five-year project, which is expected to benefit 15,500 Ghanaians, also seeks to improve nutrition and livelihoods in 56 districts across six regions. 

They are Greater Accra, Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East and Upper West regions.

The beneficiaries will receive training in digital skills and tools, including mobile technologies, precision farming systems and digital platforms to help promote the adoption of smart agricultural practices and encourage healthy lifestyles.

The project beneficiaries will be made up of 60 per cent female, 40 per cent male, and five per cent persons with disabilities who will receive digital skills and access to technology.

Additionally, 500 national actors will benefit from enhanced capacity-building efforts from the project, which is being implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) with $9.3 million in funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). 

Launch

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Paul Siameh, who launched the project on behalf of the sector minister yesterday, expressed gratitude to the WFP and KOICA for their unwavering support in tackling key developmental challenges in the country, particularly in youth empowerment, digital inclusion and food security.

He described the project as a bold and innovative response to the challenge of food insecurity, youth unemployment and malnutrition, saying it presented a transformative approach through digitalisation and technology-driven interventions.

“This project presents a unique opportunity to empower our youth, transform our agricultural sector, and build a more resilient food system in Ghana,” he said.

The Chief Director said the project aligned with Ghana's national development priorities and global commitments, including the KOICA Ghana Country Programme (CP), which prioritised agricultural productivity and value chain development, Ghana’s Digitalisation Strategy, aimed at enhancing access to technology, particularly for women and persons with disabilities, the

United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.

He urged the youth to take full advantage of the skills training, technology and entrepreneurial opportunities that the project offered. 

Rationale

The WFP Country Representative, Aurore Rusiga, explained that with 38 per cent of Ghana's population comprising the youth, regions such as Savannah, Northern, and North East exhibited the highest proportions of youth who were not engaged in productive activities, with rates exceeding 33 per cent, affecting their contribution to socio-economic growth.

These regions, she said, also faced high poverty and food insecurity levels, surpassing 30 per cent in areas such as the Upper East and North East regions.

This project, she said, was being launched at a critical time when digitalisation had become a necessity.

Through the initiative, she said the implementation partners were aimed at equipping the country’s youth with the digital skills and tools they needed to enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen food systems, improve livelihoods and secure sustainable employment opportunities.

Among others, she said the project would help to promote climate adaptation practices and digital agriculture to increase food security and resilience, strengthen youth-led Agri-Tech businesses and improve their access to financial literacy and digital skills.

Also, she said the project would leverage technology for social and behaviour change communication (SBCC), including a digital loyalty platform that rewarded users for adopting and maintaining healthy dietary and lifestyle practices.

For his part, the Korean Ambassador to Ghana, Park Kyongsig, expressed his government’s commitment to supporting such initiatives for the development of the country and the world at large.