UESD, Mastercard Foundation Train Journalists to Champion Sustainable Agribusiness, Entrepreneurship and Green Jobs

The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD)–NKABOM Collaborative, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has organised a two-day sensitisation workshop for 50 members of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in the Eastern Region to strengthen media reporting on sustainable agribusiness, entrepreneurship and green jobs.

The training, held from 8–9 July at Abrams Hills Hotel in Koforidua, was on the theme: “Entrepreneurship and Green Jobs: Enhancing Journalists’ Capacity to Report on Sustainable Agribusiness Opportunities in Ghana.”

Speaking at the workshop, the Project Coordinator of the UESD–NKABOM Collaborative, Professor Edward Wiafe Debrah, said the initiative was designed to address unemployment and promote sustainable livelihoods through practical skills development.

“We have initiated this project to solve these two problems. In the first year, we successfully conducted the baseline study, and based on the findings, it gave birth to both academic and non-academic programmes that we have developed,” he said.

He added, “We have also started training the youth. The first batch received training on how to start their own businesses, while another batch received training in compost production as well as fish processing. So far, we have trained about one hundred and forty youths in this area.”

The workshop forms part of the University’s broader communication strategy, which identifies the media as a critical stakeholder in promoting the goals of the NKABOM Collaborative. The initiative focuses on converting agricultural waste into useful products, improving aquaculture through technology, strengthening food security, and creating employment opportunities.

Participants were taken through sessions on agro-waste management and circular economy opportunities, aquaculture technology and sustainable food systems, entrepreneurship and green jobs, sustainability reporting, and practical news development.

UESD believes accurate, consistent and well-informed media coverage is essential to the success of the initiative. Journalists and editors were therefore encouraged to serve as active partners in shaping public discourse on green innovation, climate-resilient livelihoods, and inclusive opportunities for women, youth and vulnerable groups within Ghana’s agri-food sector.

Project Lead for Aquaculture Technology under the NKABOM Collaborative at UESD, Dr. Christian Larbi Ayisi, underscored the importance of aquaculture in addressing the country’s food security challenges.

“Aquaculture, in its sense, is a panacea to our food security-related issues as far as animal protein is concerned,” he stated.

The project’s Strategic Communication Plan also includes engagement activities such as in-person briefings with university leadership, social media campaigns targeting young people, community-based training workshops, awareness programmes in schools and among agri-care providers, as well as regular press releases and media engagement with policymakers and the general public.

By: Akua Acheampomaa Owoahene/ Radio1.