In a significant step towards addressing environmental sustainability, agricultural innovation, and youth unemployment in Ghana, the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) in Somanya, in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, has launched the Nkabom Project.
Set to run for ten years, the Nkabom Project aims to provide dignified and fulfilling employment for three million young Ghanaians by 2030. The initiative focuses on transforming agricultural waste into valuable resources, advancing aquaculture practices through innovative technology, and fostering sustainable, entrepreneurship-driven livelihoods for youth, women, and marginalized communities.
During the project’s launch in Koforidua, Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson, Vice-Chancellor of UESD and Principal Investigator of the Nkabom Project, remarked that the initiative will serve as a model for agro-waste transformation and aquaculture innovation in Ghana and beyond.
“The project is crucial for us as a university and aligns with our vision and mission. It enables us to conduct research on agro-waste and develop products that benefit the community,” he stated. “Many view agricultural by-products as waste, but we aim to transform them into usable resources. Additionally, the Eastern Region contributes 40% of the nation’s inland fishing, positioning us well to train individuals and equip them with skills.”
Prof. Nyarko-Sampson also highlighted that the project provides an opportunity for UESD to offer expert training in agro-waste management across the country, with plans to roll out academic programs on the subject by the end of the year.
Prof. Edward Wiafe Debrah, Pro-Vice Chancellor of UESD and Project Coordinator of the Nkabom Project, noted that the initiative will create employment opportunities for Ghanaians by equipping them with skills to add value to agro-waste. He emphasized that the training will be inclusive and accessible to all Ghanaians.
“We are developing tertiary programs that will empower individuals not to seek jobs but to acquire entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to use agro-waste processing and aquaculture technology to generate income,” he stated.
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