The 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat has reaffirmed its commitment to modernizing agriculture and creating decent jobs through technology transfer and skills development, as it officially opened the Ghana-Hungary Agricultural Extension Capacity Building Programme.
The three-week training programme, being held at the Alexis Hotel, Afienya Tollbooth in the Ningo-Prampram District from 6th to 24th October, 2026, is a joint initiative by the Governance Africa Foundation and the Embassy of Hungary in Accra, with support from the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat. It is training 45 Agricultural Extension Officers drawn from across all 16 regions of Ghana in Modern Agritech & Advisory Services, and digital extension delivery.
Social Policy Advisor at the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, Dr. Al-Hassan Adam, as Special Guest of Honour officially declared the programme open. He was supported by Mr. Job Kwabena Laboja, Communication Officer of the Secretariat.
Addressing participants, organizers and partners, Dr. Al-Hassan Adam highlighted the strategic alignment between the training and the vision of the 24-Hour Economy programme. He noted that a productive, 24-hour agricultural economy requires a strong, technology-driven extension system that links farmers to markets, irrigation, and processing infrastructure.
He used the platform to outline major opportunities available under the 24-Hour Economy programme for agricultural professionals, particularly the Volta Economic Corridor (VEC) initiative. According to him, preparations are far advanced for large-scale irrigation infrastructure and the establishment of Agro-Ecological Parks across the corridor.
He emphasized that extension officers will be key actors in mobilizing farmers, supporting out-grower schemes, and ensuring 24-hour shift-based productivity within these agro-ecological parks.
“Extension officers are the bedrock of agriculture and we at 24-Hour Economy are happy to support the technical development of this cohort of extension officers. We envisage that they will play an active role in providing their services to our cooperative farmers operating in our agro-industrial parks” – Dr. Adam said.
Partners from Governance Africa Foundation and the Embassy of Hungary underscored the importance of the collaboration in building the next generation of extension officers equipped for precision agriculture and climate-smart practices.
The participation of the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat underscores its three-fold mandate in the initiative: providing high-level leadership, officially opening the programme, and building a strategic nationwide network of agricultural professionals whose work directly supports the implementation of the 24-Hour Economy Programme.
The Secretariat sees the 45 extension officers as critical allies and future focal persons for the Volta Economic Corridor and other agricultural value chain interventions under the 24-Hour Economy programme.
Through this partnership, the Secretariat is projecting agriculture as a viable 24-hour economy that creates jobs, ensures food security, promotes import substitution, and drives accelerated export development. The programme will run until 24th October, 2026.
