General

The University of Ghana (UG) has formed a strategic partnership with Maxwell Investments Group (MIG) and the Africa School of Entrepreneurship (ASOE) to enhance leadership development among Ghanaian students. Through a formal Memorandum of Understanding signed on Tuesday the 3rd of June 2025, the partners committed to providing practical, values-based entrepreneurship education both within and beyond the classroom. Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Justice Bawole, Dean of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), highlighted the necessity for graduates to go beyond academic knowledge and embrace practical leadership capabilities. “The partnership aims to develop skills that extend beyond traditional academia. They must leave here ready to think critically, act ethically, and lead courageously,” said Professor Bawole. “We want to ensure our students graduate with academic knowledge and the readiness to lead in business and in society.” The Africa School of Entrepreneurship (ASOE) will act as the implementing arm of the initiative, providing immersive learning experiences such as mentorship programmes, leadership workshops, and entrepreneurial labs. These offerings are designed to assist students, regardless of their faculty, in understanding real-world challenges, building business resilience, and navigating opportunities in an increasingly complex economic environment. Dr Maxwell Ampong, CEO of Maxwell Investments Group, described the initiative as a “long-term investment in human capital that aligns with MIG’s ecosystem approach to sectoral development. We’re here to guide, invest in, and build up future changemakers. Just like a tech platform, other industry partners can very easily plug in and we are happy to have the full support of the University” he stated. Representatives from the University of Ghana at the event included the incumbent and incoming Deans of the University of Ghana Business School, Heads of Departments, Assistant Registrars, Professors, Administrative Leaders, and the present and incoming Presidents of the UGBS Business House Junior Common Room (BHJCR). Industry stakeholders involved in the MIG Ecosystem also pledged their support at the event, with some already participating in internship, mentorship and skills transfer projects. Present at the event were UN Global Compact Network Ghana, Zenith Bank (Ghana) Ltd., Deloitte Ghana, the Women in Agricultural Development Directorate (WIAD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), AfCFTA Young Entrepreneurs Federation, Legal Emporium Ghana, Metropolitan Insurance Ghana Ltd., Pan-African Savings and Loans Ghana, Wilmar Ghana Limited, Koranteng & Koranteng Legal Advisors, African Brand Warrior, Finfact Global, Tradeline Consult, and others. This initiative is set to become a model for how academia and enterprise can jointly develop youth leadership for measurable national transformation.

Feeding Ghana today feels like walking a tightrope during a storm. Everything, from prices to weather to supply, is unpredictable. I should know; I’m in the agribusiness industry. The cost of basic food items in Accra can swing wildly from week to week. Imported rice fills our markets, not because it’s better, but because it’s cheaper and more consistent. Meanwhile, local poultry farmers are being undercut by frozen chicken imported from overseas. These imports often arrive in bulk, heavily subsidised by foreign governments, making it nearly impossible for Ghanaian farmers to compete. Fertiliser prices are also spiking. And the rains? They’re no longer reliable. Sometimes, they arrive too early, sometimes too late. Occasionally, they don’t come at all. For a country that still relies heavily on rain-fed agriculture, that’s like running a business with no idea when your supplies will show up. Beneath it all lies a deeper issue that we don’t discuss enough. Ghana is heavily reliant on global supply chains for its food. When these chains operate effectively, they help keep prices low. However, when they break, as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic or when war disrupted grain exports from Ukraine, they not only raise costs but also leave people hungry. The reality is this: our current system is fragile. No matter how many good harvests we have, they will not suffice if we cannot store, distribute, or buffer against shocks. That’s why Ghana needs more than farming. We require financing – long-term, intelligent, and accountable financing that enables us to prepare for disruptions before they occur. We must understand how the Ghana Food-Security Bond represents a bold and structured approach to raising money now, enabling us to build a sustainable food system not only for this season but also for future generations. What is a Food-Security Bond? A Food-Security Bond is a special type of government-backed financial tool. It allows the government to borrow money from investors, but with a specific promise: that the funds will only be used to strengthen the country’s ability to feed itself. Think of it like taking a loan from responsible lenders to build long-lasting food security infrastructure. Unlike general borrowing, where money can be spent on anything, these funds are ring-fenced. That means they are locked in and can only be used for targeted investments in the food system. These include things like building irrigation systems, expanding local fertiliser production, upgrading food storage facilities, or expanding nutrition-focused school feeding programmes. This bond essentially treats food security as a form of physical infrastructure, similar to how we invest in roads or electricity. It makes food resilience measurable and attractive to investors. Capital is raised upfront. The government gets the funds at the beginning by selling bonds to banks, pension funds, or development institutions. Funds are tied to outcomes. Investors and the public will know what the money is intended to achieve, such as reducing post-harvest waste, increasing average yields, or stabilising food prices. Repayment is structured over time. Ghana gradually repays the money, either through tax revenues, cost savings, or with the support of international institutions that can provide guarantees. It’s not a one-time project or political promise. A Food-Security Bond is a serious financial commitment, backed by law and performance tracking, aimed at the most basic and critical function of any nation: ensuring that its people can afford to eat. What a dedicated bond would fund The money raised from a Food-Security Bond wouldn’t be distributed widely. Instead, it would concentrate on addressing very specific issues within Ghana’s food system, issues that influence what we eat, what we pay, and how much we waste. Here’s what a dedicated bond would help finance. Agro-Rings Infrastructure: These are agricultural zones surrounding major cities. They bring food closer to where people live. The Food-Security Bond would support the construction of irrigation systems, small access roads, cold storage units, and collection hubs in these areas. This will enable farmers to grow more and transport their products to market without spoilage. Digital Traceability Tools: This includes technology that helps track food from farm to fork. For example, apps that inform you when tomatoes are harvested or tools that connect buyers with nearby farmers. It builds trust, reduces waste, and gets farmers fairer prices. Access to Fertilisers and Seeds: Many farmers struggle to buy inputs at the right time. The bond would help pre-finance high-quality seeds and fertilisers, which would be distributed through cooperatives. Farmers could repay after the harvest, reducing upfront pressure and boosting yields. Expanding Buffer Stocks: Ghana needs to properly store food—especially grains and staples. The bond would finance modern warehouses in various regions, ensuring food safety, minimising price fluctuations, and assisting during emergencies. Nutrition-Linked Interventions: Malnutrition remains a silent issue. The bond could finance school meals, local food fortification, or subsidise basic food items in high-poverty areas. Enhanced nutrition leads to improved health, education, and productivity. Each of these areas is practical, high-impact, and visible. This translates to better-fed children, stronger farms, more local jobs, and a country that can stand on its own two feet during global food shocks. Why Ghana is ready for this Ghana already has several strong institutions and financial tools in place. These serve as pillars that can support a more coordinated national strategy for food security. We don’t need to build everything from scratch. Here’s what we already have: Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX): This is a formal marketplace where farmers, traders, and processors can buy and sell produce in a transparent and regulated way. It ensures fair prices, reduces exploitation, and connects smallholder farmers to larger markets. Buffer Stock Company: This government-run company helps stabilise food availability and prices. It buys surplus food when there is an excess in the market (to prevent prices from crashing) and releases reserves when there is a shortage (to prevent prices from spiking). It serves as Ghana’s food safety valve. Green and social bonds: Ghana has already issued bonds to raise funds for environmental and social goals, such as renewable energy, sanitation,

When discussing food security in Africa, we often picture rural areas facing failed rains, subsistence farms, and struggling smallholders. However, the crisis is increasingly urban. Cities from Lagos to Accra to Nairobi are expanding, incomes are strained, and food prices have become wildly unpredictable. Modern African cities are fed by invisible threads of long, tangled supply chains stitched together by luck, labour, and low margins. A single border closure, a jump in fuel prices, or a week of heavy rains can sever these threads, leaving shelves empty and stomachs also empty. In Ghana, imported rice continues to fill nearly half of our urban bowls. Ghana imports significant quantities of tomatoes from Burkina Faso, with these imports valued at approximately $400 million annually. This means the tomatoes we consume travel over 1,000 kilometres from Burkina Faso to reach our plates in Accra. On good days, this system is costly. On bad days, it’s dysfunctional. When cities get food wrong, everything else falters: health, productivity, social cohesion, everything. Food isn’t just a commodity; it is a currency of peace. So the question is this: what if cities could feed themselves, or at least feed themselves better? This is where the concept of agro-rings comes in. What is an agro-ring? An Agricultural Ring in Farming (agro-ring) is a planned, productive belt of peri-urban and rural farmland that surrounds a city, much like a quiet engine. Unlike random sprawl or scattered fields, agro-rings are intentionally structured. They are designed to supply a city’s core food needs, such as maize, yam, vegetables, poultry, and dairy, all within a defined and logistically sensible radius. The logic is as ancient as it is urgent, yet simple: grow food closer to where it’s eaten. But the benefits extend far beyond proximity: Price stability: Shorter routes mean lower costs, fewer intermediaries, and more predictable prices. Farmer empowerment: Direct links to urban markets cut out middlemen and increase income per acre. Reduced waste: Fresher produce, less spoilage, better margins for everyone. Crisis resilience: When borders close or roads are flooded, cities don’t starve. Climate adaptation: Decentralised production reduces over-reliance on specific regions or imports. This isn’t a dream. It’s a return to something that African cities once had and a leap towards something we urgently need. The current fragility of Africa’s urban food system Let’s be honest: most African cities eat without a plan. Peri-urban land is consumed by speculation. We find various housing estates, brick kilns, and warehouses spread throughout. Food-producing land is pushed further out, often without a viable transport plan to bring it back in. Urban markets oscillate between feast and famine. One week, tomatoes rot in heaps due to oversupply; the next, they’re priced out of reach. There’s no buffer, no floor, and no map. Middlemen wield disproportionate power, often controlling prices and access to resources. The infrastructure consists of a patchwork of potholes and makeshift sheds. Cold storage is scarce. Aggregation is chaotic. Data remains mythical, to say the least. In times of crisis, this dysfunction becomes especially pronounced. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t food that ran out; it was the ability to transport it. The 2022 fertiliser spike didn’t just affect farms; it sent ripple shocks to chop bars and corner stores. Cities cannot continue to exist like this. Food systems based on improvisation fail under stress. Resilience needs to be engineered. Agro-rings are a blueprint. How agro-rings would work in Ghana Imagine Greater Accra not as a sprawling area, but as a hub, intentionally nourished by a 100-kilometre ring of coordinated production. Step one: map what Accra eats. Quantify maize demand, onion usage, poultry consumption, etc. Then trace the origins of these food items and determine the costs related to any gaps in supply. Step two: zone production belts. Identify fertile, available land in the Eastern, Volta, and Central Regions within haulage reach. Prioritise crops that have high perishability and strong demand. Step three: build infrastructure where it counts. Aggregation centres with cold storage. Feeder roads that aren’t washed out by the first rains. Digital platforms that connect producers to buyers before harvest begins. Step four: align incentives. Provide tax breaks or concessional loans for processors, aggregators, and cold chain investors who locate within the agro-ring. Offer microinsurance and contract farming support for farmers within the ring. Step five: replicate. Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi – each with their own ring, suited to their ecology and appetite. Stitch these into a national food resilience network. This isn’t about cutting off trade. It’s about anchoring it in something stronger than chance. Policy and private sector roles Agro-rings require alignment. Ministries of agriculture, roads, trade, and finance must cease planning in isolation. Local governments should have a seat, and a stake. The private sector must stop waiting to be invited. Logistics companies can invest in decentralised storage and cold hubs. Agritech firms can deploy traceability tools and AI-based yield forecasting. Financial institutions can design credit products that reflect seasonal realities. For instance, a fintech can provide pre-harvest loans linked to delivery contracts within the agro-ring, minimising risk for both farmers and lenders. Supermarkets and fast food chains can source a percentage of inputs from ring-certified producers. Donors and development banks can stimulate investment, fund essential infrastructure, reduce risks in blended finance, and assess performance. But the vision must be owned locally. Agro-rings won’t work if they are imposed; they succeed when they are co-created. Agro-rings in the AfCFTA era AfCFTA promises open markets, but open markets without secure supply are merely a mirage. Agro-rings transform cities into stable suppliers, not just consumers. A well-organised ring around Kumasi can supply food to southern Burkina Faso. A cassava processor in Takoradi with a consistent supply of roots can ship gari to Abidjan. When the local foundation is strong, the regional ambition becomes credible. Agro-rings make trade real. They translate protocols into products. Local food, global impact African cities are growing. Their food systems must evolve as well. Agro-rings aren’t a silver bullet, but they serve as a compass. They point towards a future where