By Nadia Ntiamoah
In a major push to industrialize agriculture and cut down Ghana’s food import bill, the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) is partnering with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to attract investment and accelerate agribusiness development across three key farming enclaves.
The move was announced following a high-level meeting between MiDA’s Chief Executive Officer, Alexander Kofi-Mensah Mould, and Kyle Kelhofer, IFC’s Senior Manager for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
The discussions focused on unlocking the commercial potential of nearly 50,000 acres of arable land in Kasunya, Afram Plains, and the Oti enclave through a public-private investment strategy.
MiDA, which is leading Ghana’s post-Millennium Challenge Compact agricultural reforms, is currently constructing foundational infrastructure in the enclaves.
These include irrigation systems, electricity grids, road networks, and accommodation facilities for anchor farmers—structures considered essential to make the enclaves viable for large-scale agribusiness.
Mould told the IFC delegation that, while the physical works are progressing steadily, a major challenge remains in conducting rigorous feasibility studies to assess infrastructure needs and land-use optimization.
“To attract the level of funding we need, it’s important we carry out comprehensive feasibility assessments, particularly focusing on irrigation and cost efficiency,” he said.
As part of MiDA’s strategy, the developed lands will be leased to private commercial farmers, both local and international, to boost agricultural production for domestic consumption and exports.
Mould added that he has personally toured several regions to profile potential anchor farmers and understand their operational challenges—an effort aimed at informing policy recommendations to the Mahama administration.
Highlighting the government’s priorities, he said the current focus is to reduce Ghana’s reliance on imported food by supporting farmers with targeted subsidies.
These include support for farm mechanization, irrigation tools, and land development services—all geared toward achieving national food self-sufficiency.
Mould, a former Executive Director of Wholesale Banking at Standard Chartered Bank, emphasized the need for strong public-private collaboration in building a modernized agricultural
“We’re looking beyond just farming—we want a full value chain approach that makes farming commercially attractive and sustainable.”
Kyle Kelhofer assured MiDA of IFC’s readiness to assist in conducting detailed feasibility studies for the three enclaves. He also pledged IFC’s support in mobilizing international agribusiness investors for the project, citing a similar model implemented successfully by IFC in Sierra Leone.
The proposed MiDA-IFC partnership signals a broader shift toward structured agricultural development in Ghana, driven by infrastructure, private capital, and coordinated government support.
If successful, the initiative could position Ghana as a regional leader in agribusiness and drastically reduce the country’s dependence on food imports.
