The government’s bold move to overhaul Ghana’s irrigation infrastructure is not only a major step toward achieving food security but also presents a powerful opportunity for private investors and agribusiness companies to tap into the country’s underutilised agricultural potential.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, said the project aims to shift Ghana away from rain-dependent farming to a modern, irrigated system that enables year-round cultivation and more reliable supply chains.
The government, under President John Dramani Mahama, has committed to rehabilitating defunct irrigation systems, building new dams across key regions, and constructing 250 solar-powered boreholes, particularly for vegetable production. This transformation, Opoku said, is designed to create the conditions for agribusiness growth and private sector participation.
“With farming, we can feed the entire country and even export to other places to create wealth for our people,” he stated. “The missing link has been consistent water supply, this initiative fixes that.”
Infrastructure to De-Risk Agribusiness
For private investors, the overhaul addresses one of the biggest barriers to investing in agriculture risk. By improving irrigation infrastructure, Ghana will significantly reduce its vulnerability to weather patterns and improve the predictability of yields.
This development creates a more attractive environment for investment in agro-processing, logistics, input supply, and export operations. Agribusiness companies can now plan with greater certainty and scale operations in areas that were previously deemed too risky.
According to Minister Opoku, Ghana has over 1.9 million hectares of irrigable land, but only about 226,000 hectares are currently in use. With this new push, that gap represents untapped potential for land-based investments, contract farming models, and out-grower schemes.
Targeting Youth and Women Farmers
The government’s plan also prioritises the empowerment of youth and women, two groups essential to building a sustainable agricultural economy. The installation of solar-powered boreholes, designed to support vegetable farming, is expected to unlock micro-agribusiness opportunities in rural communities.
This presents a unique opening for private players in agricultural financing, technology, and extension services to develop tailored solutions for these emerging farmer segments.
KOICA’s Backing Signals Confidence
The project has received backing from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), whose Country Director, Mr. Dorng Hyun Lee, reaffirmed the Korean government’s support for Ghana’s agricultural transformation. He urged a collaborative approach that includes skills development and technology transfer, both areas where private firms can actively contribute.
“There’s an opportunity here to build a knowledge-based, high-performing agricultural sector,” Lee noted. “But it must include the private sector to reach its full potential.”
A New Era for Agribusiness Investment
With policy momentum building and infrastructure gaps being addressed, Ghana’s agriculture sector is being restructured to attract long-term private capital.
The irrigation overhaul is more than a public works project, it is an investment signal that the government is ready to partner with agribusinesses to build resilient, commercially viable value chains.
