Ghana launches GAFET endowment to transform agricultural education

The Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture has launched the Ghana Agricultural Fund for Education and Transformation (GAFET). This national endowment aims to provide sustainable financing for agricultural education and human capital development to modernize the sector.

Launched by Minister Eric Opoku in Accra, the fund addresses a significant economic imbalance: while agriculture accounts for over 20% of Ghana’s economy, only approximately 2% of tertiary students are enrolled in agricultural programs. Additionally, agricultural education institutions face an estimated annual funding gap of GH¢12 million.

GAFET will function as a professionally managed endowment where capital is preserved and invested, with annual returns used to fund priorities such as laboratories, demonstration farms, mechanization, digital agriculture, research, and faculty development. Lead Coordinator Steven Nhyira Odarteifio emphasized that the fund seeks to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the practical requirements of a technology-driven agricultural economy.