Investing in rice production could’ve created 294,000 jobs for NABCO beneficiaries – Awuah-Darko
Kwame Awuah-Darko, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has suggested that funds allocated to the National Builders’ Corps (NABCO) programme could have been more effectively invested in the agricultural sector, specifically in large-scale rice production, to create sustainable employment opportunities for Ghanaian youth.
Awuah-Darko pointed out that since its inception, NABCO has benefitted over 100,000 people, each receiving a monthly allowance of GHC 700. Over three years, this has cost the government approximately GHC 2.5 billion.
He argued that redirecting these resources toward land acquisition and supporting young people in rice cultivation could have generated long-term employment and reduced Ghana’s reliance on rice imports.
Launched to address graduate unemployment, NABCO faced significant challenges, including delayed payment of allowances, raising concerns about its sustainability and effectiveness.
In an interview with Channel One News, Awuah-Darko revealed that the NDC has developed a strategic plan to prioritize agriculture as a key driver of job creation and economic growth.
A centrepiece of the NDC’s 2024 manifesto, the initiative aims to create over 200,000 sustainable jobs while reducing the country’s dependence on imported rice, positioning agriculture as a catalyst for development.
Rice production alone, using the funds spent on NABCO trainees, could have cultivated 42,000 acres of rice farms. If implemented from the start, this approach would have created over 200,000 sustainable jobs,” he explained. He further added, “The NDC has consistently demonstrated better management of the Ghanaian economy through investments in productive sectors, unlike the NPP’s record of wasteful expenditure.”
Prioritizing Rice Farming for Food Security and Job Creation
As part of the NDC’s agricultural strategy, Awuah-Darko, who is also a farmer, emphasized the importance of expanding irrigation systems in rice-producing regions such as the Northern, Volta, and Ashanti regions.
He also stressed the need for investments in modern farming equipment to enhance productivity and efficiency for large-scale rice cultivation, alongside the provision of affordable loans and subsidies to smallholder farmers to help them access seeds, fertilizers, and other critical resources to expand their operations.
Furthermore, he highlighted the establishment of rice mills and packaging facilities as essential to ensuring that locally produced rice meets international standards, which would boost both domestic sales and exports.
Awuah-Darko stressed that these initiatives would align with the NDC’s proposed 24-Hour Economy policy, which aims to optimize productivity across various sectors, including agriculture.
The 24-Hour Economy and Agriculture
The 24-hour economy policy is designed to extend agricultural activities beyond farming by incorporating processing, packaging, and marketing into a continuous operational cycle.
According to Awuah-Darko, this approach will facilitate round-the-clock agro-industrial operations, establish logistics hubs to ensure the efficient distribution of farm produce nationwide, and create night markets in urban and peri-urban areas to boost trade and reduce post-harvest losses.
Additionally, it will enhance rural electrification to support agro-industrial activities.
The 24-Hour Economy ensures that agriculture doesn’t end with farming. It creates opportunities for processing, packaging, and marketing to operate without downtime, generating jobs throughout the supply chain,” he explained.
The NDC’s strategic investment in rice production, combined with its 24-Hour Economy initiative, is presented as a transformative plan to address unemployment, improve food security, and drive economic growth in Ghana
