The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana has reaffirmed China’s strong commitment to investing in Ghana’s agricultural sector as part of efforts to make agribusiness more attractive to young people, expand apprenticeship opportunities, and deepen cooperation in technology-driven skills training.
Ambassador Tong Defa made these remarks during a courtesy visit by the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, Millicent Yeboah Amankwah. He underscored Ghana’s strategic importance to China, noting that the country remains China’s largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade volumes reaching approximately US$11.8 billion in 2024.
During the engagement, the MP outlined key development interventions underway in the Sunyani West Constituency, many of which focus on agriculture and skills development as pathways to improving livelihoods and raising living standards for residents.
A major highlight was her skills development drive, which seeks to enrol thousands of young people into apprenticeship programmes. She described apprenticeship as a critical pillar of Ghana’s micro, small and medium-scale enterprise (MSME) ecosystem, which continues to make significant contributions to the economy, particularly within the informal sector.
Under the initiative, training has been zoned into seven clusters covering areas such as hairdressing and dressmaking, supported by thousands of industrial sewing machines and essential vocational materials.
The structure of the programme, she explained, is designed to accommodate the work schedules of trainees. As part of efforts to create a ready market for beneficiaries, the MP revealed that discussions have been held with headteachers of the six senior high schools in the constituency to ensure that school uniforms are produced by the trainees.
Agriculture also featured prominently in the discussions, with the MP stressing the need to change prevailing perceptions that farming is unattractive or only suitable for older people. She noted that many young people continue to favour white-collar and public-sector jobs, overlooking the vast opportunities within the agricultural value chain.
“We want to make agriculture attractive. There is a different perception when you say you are into agriculture, and many young people prefer white-collar jobs in public institutions, forgetting that agriculture has huge potential. It supports livelihoods and remains the backbone of the country,” she said.
Beyond agriculture and skills training, Ambassador Tong Defa highlighted the importance of strengthening healthcare delivery in rural communities. He pointed to China’s long-standing ‘barefoot doctors’ model, where trained community health workers are assigned to specific rural areas to provide basic healthcare services, as a concept worth exploring in Ghana.
On technology training, the Ambassador disclosed that discussions have already begun with the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to revitalise existing diplomatic agreements that enable Ghanaian youth to access advanced technical training. He noted that such initiatives are critical as the world rapidly transitions into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Ambassador Defa further observed that Ghana’s agricultural sector holds significant export potential, particularly in cashew production, which is in high demand in China.
He revealed that several Chinese investors have expressed interest in Ghana’s agribusiness sector and are keen to leverage the zero-tariff regime on Ghanaian exports to China to scale up imports.
This commitment builds on earlier interventions by the Chinese government in Sunyani, particularly the China–Ghana Agricultural Luban Workshop (CGALW) located at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR). The facility provides students with hands-on exposure to cutting-edge agricultural skills and modern technologies, positioning them for emerging opportunities in the sector.
Sunyani is among a select number of cities hosting China’s Luban Workshop, an international vocational education and training programme currently implemented in about 19 countries, including Thailand, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Egypt, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Named after an ancient Chinese master craftsman, the initiative is backed by China’s Ministry of Education and is designed to promote skills transfer, technical innovation, and youth employability across partner countries.
China remains Ghana’s largest trading partner and one of its most significant sources of foreign direct investment. The Ambassador reiterated China’s readiness to align with Ghana’s development priorities, referencing the signing of a bilateral economic and technical cooperation agreement earlier this year and China’s decision to grant zero-tariff treatment on all tariff lines for African countries, including Ghana
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