A passing-out ceremony has been successfully held for 50 young participants trained as drone pilots under the E-HAPPY initiative of the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) Program.

The participants, comprising 18 females and 32 males aged 18 to 35, received an intensive, fully funded two-week technical training at the Dan F. Acquaye Drone Innovation and Simulation Unit at the E-Learning Centre of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

They subsequently undertook a two-week hands-on industrial attachment at Agrokings Farm in Kasunya, in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region, where the participants were actively engaged in precision agriculture, land surveying, crop spraying, and data-driven farming using drone technology.

Speaking at the passing-out ceremony for the second cohort at Agrokings on Thursday, April 1, 2025, Value Chain and Enterprise Development Expert with Agri-Impact Limited, Abraham Sarfo, highlighted the transformative potential of drone technology.

“Drone technology is rapidly reshaping the agricultural landscape. While many still associate drones with weddings and social events, we recognise a far greater potential for precision agriculture, land surveying, crop spraying, and data-driven farming. These innovations are not just trends; they are the future of agriculture,” he said.

Mr. Sarfo also noted that the drone centre’s partnerships will soon expand beyond KNUST, Agri-Impact, the Mastercard Foundation, and the HAPPY Program.

“We will also have external partnerships, including from South Africa. We are extending our collaborations globally to bring state-of-the-art technology to agricultural development in Ghana,” he added.

He further emphasised the need for large-scale, technology-driven agriculture:
“For us, it is critical that Ghana does not continue to rely solely on small-scale agriculture. Our current food security challenges reflect the need for a more developed agricultural sector. You are the ones to help revolutionise agriculture by making it technology-driven, large-scale, and more profitable. You are not only going to make agriculture attractive but also profitable. Profitability comes with scale, and scale is enabled by technology.”

“It is therefore important not to see yourselves as just drone pilots,” he said.

The Communications and Knowledge Management Manager at Agri-Impact, Godwin Akweiteh Allotey, who read a speech on behalf of Prof. Nana Ewusi, eHAPPY Program Lead at the KNUST E-Learning Centre revealed that the selection process was highly competitive.

Out of over 1,800 applicants across nine countries, 250 were shortlisted, with 50 ultimately selected. The training was delivered in two phases: a technical foundation at KNUST and practical application at Agrokings.

Mr. Allotey added that the new drone pilots will be connected to drone service centres for equipment access and will benefit from continued support to ensure their skills are fully utilised.

He further described the young dronepreneurs as “Akuafo pilots,” meaning farmers’ pilots.

The Akuafo pilots in the next five to six months will be further engaged in hands-holding and coaching sessions aimed at equipping them not only as technical pilots but also to broaden their understanding of the business of drone technology.

Founder and Chief Farmer at Agrokings, Nana Owusu-Achau, also addressed the ceremony, expressing his admiration for the trainees’ attitude and skills, and hinting at potential job opportunities for some of them.

Speaking to some participants, one trainee noted that prior to the programme, their understanding of technology in agriculture was limited, but they now see agriculture as an innovative and promising field for young people.

Another participant shared that the training had equipped them with skills in drone piloting for precision agriculture, land monitoring, and the application of agrochemicals and seeds.

The drone training aims to equip young Ghanaians with precision agriculture skills to provide drone services to farmers.

The initiative forms part of the E-HAPPY component of the HAPPY Program, which seeks to engage 326,000 young people aged 18–35 across four targeted value chains: rice, tomato, poultry, and soybean.

The HAPPY Program, an initiative of the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited, is implemented by a consortium of eight partners, including Newage Agric Solutions, Ghana Enterprises Agency, MiDA, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Jobberman, National Service Authority, Catholic Relief Services, and TechnoServe.

Since its rollout in December 2023, the program has onboarded over 270,000 young Ghanaians across the targeted value chains.