NEIP disburses GH₵10m to youth engaged in Agric
By Fauzeeya JAMAL-DEEN, Accra
The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has disbursed GH₵10 million to beneficiaries of the Youth in Innovative Agriculture Programme to expand their businesses.
This is part of the financial support component of the programme to provide grants of up to GH₵100,000 to 24,000 young Ghanaians in agriculture in phases.
Speaking at the disbursement ceremony, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)of NEIP, Kofi Ofosu Nkansah stated that the disbursement of funds is in phases because government does not have all the funds now.
“The programme covers all agric areas and we are going to continue with the disbursement. We are doing disbursement to 500 people in this cohort and before the end of the year we will do about two or three more phases. Next year we will continue with the disbursement,” he said.
Mr Nkansah noted that the programme will continue to provide coaching, mentoring and business support to all beneficiaries across the country.
He urged beneficiaries to make effective use of the funds to expand their businesses as the government remains committed to supporting them with funds to expand the country’s agriculture sector and nurture them to become successful agriculture entrepreneurs.
On her part, representative of the Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance, Gifty Nkansah Sekyere noted that government will continue to invest in people despite the country’s liquidity crises.
“These grants symbolises the confidence government has in our young entrepreneurs. It is an investment in your potential to contribute to the growth of our agricultural sector, the creation of jobs and the overall development of our country,” she said.
She also assured that the ministry will continue to ensure effective revenue mobilisation as well as prudent management of government’s expenditure despite the country’s current economic challenges.
The Youth in Innovative Agriculture Support Programme was launched under the Ghana Care “Obaatan Pa” Programme as parts of the Covid-19 revitalisation efforts of government to increase agriculture production and agricultural entrepreneurship.
It consists of areas such as Vegetable Farming, Maize Farming, Poultry and Livestock, Yam and Cassava, Agro Processing and Agric Technology.
Chief Executive Officer of Reganz Organics, Regina Asakiya, who received GH₵20,000 grant expressed her gratitude to the government for the funding support and encouraged young ladies to venture into agriculture.
She stated that she intends to increase her two-acre maize farm to seven acres and employ more young ladies in the Upper East Region.
Ali Abdul Karim, a 100-acre maize farmer in the Bono Region also advised the youth to venture into agriculture due to the numerous opportunities available.
He added that “I intend to increase my production in poultry and farming and employ more people which will help them get income.”
