Accra, Ghana – Over 5,000 unemployed agricultural graduates are urging the Ghanaian government to approve immediate recruitment into long-vacant positions within the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. These graduates argue that a significant backlog of trained personnel is severely undermining the nation’s critical extension and veterinary services, impacting agricultural development.
The coalition, representing graduates from six public agricultural colleges across Ghana, highlights that qualified veterinary, crop, and extension officers have been awaiting employment for up to seven years. This prolonged period of unemployment occurs despite documented staff shortages within the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Persistent Staffing Gaps in Agriculture
Mohammed Abubakari Sadik, Secretary for the coalition, stated that thousands of graduates in fields such as agronomy, animal science, agricultural economics, extension, and horticulture complete their studies annually, eager to contribute to national development. However, a substantial number remain either unemployed or underemployed.
The affected institutions include the Animal Health and Production College in Pong-Tamale, Kwadaso College of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Ejura College of Agriculture and Mechanisation, Ohawu Agricultural College, Damongo College of Agriculture and Allied Sciences, and Wenchi College of Agriculture and Applied Technology.
Unfulfilled Promises and Delayed Deployments
The coalition publicly raised this issue in December 2024, when over 1,000 trained officers were unemployed. Sadik referenced a 2021 pledge by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to recruit 1,100 veterinary and crop extension officers in 2022.
While approximately half of these promised officers have since been deployed, delays in posting the remaining personnel have fueled concerns about the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s commitment to addressing its staffing deficiencies. This situation is seen as a direct impediment to critical government agricultural initiatives.
Impact on National Agricultural Programs
The expertise of these graduates is deemed essential for the success of government programs like the ‘Feed Ghana Programme’ and the broader Agricultural Transformation Agenda. The coalition argues that a lack of adequately staffed extension and veterinary services directly hinders the effective implementation of these vital projects.
Furthermore, the coalition has voiced criticism regarding the implementation of the ‘Feed Ghana Programme’. Initially designed to engage graduates through the National Service Scheme amidst fiscal constraints related to Ghana’s IMF program, the initiative has faced significant operational challenges.
Operational Challenges and Bureaucratic Hurdles
Sadik detailed several issues plaguing the National Service Scheme engagement. These include delayed allowance payments, which sometimes take up to three months to be disbursed. Additionally, some graduates have not received their official National Service Scheme PIN codes, creating administrative barriers.
The requirement for physical submission of monthly reports in Accra, a process that is both time-consuming and costly for personnel stationed in various regions, has also been cited as a major hurdle. Compounding these issues, some ministry offices have reportedly rejected posted personnel due to a lack of formal communication or authorization from higher authorities.
Call for Permanent Solutions and Fair Treatment
The coalition is appealing directly to President John Dramani Mahama, Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku, and Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson. They are requesting financial clearance for all qualified graduates, the completion of the 2022 deployment, and a transition from temporary arrangements to permanent employment.
Sadik also called for the digitalization of reporting systems to replace the current manual submission process. He urged the government to adopt recruitment and deployment strategies similar to those successfully employed in the education and health sectors, which often feature more streamlined and predictable processes.
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