Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has urged Ghanaians to treat environmental protection and greening as an integral part of national development.

She said the recent floods should not be the only trigger for conversations about waste management, drainage and the environment.

Speaking on Saturday at the opening of the 14th Ghana Garden and Flower Show, she said the lessons from the floods must continue long after the waters have receded.

“That conversation must not end when the floodwaters recede. Keeping Ghana clean and making Ghana greener are part of the same responsibility,” she said.

She stressed that Ghana’s approach to development must give greater attention to trees, gardens and green spaces as towns and cities expand.

“Greening should therefore not be something we consider after development; greening should be part of development itself,” Prof Naana Jane said.

She also linked the country’s environmental agenda to economic opportunities, particularly in horticulture.

According to her, gardens and flowers represent more than beauty, with an entire economy involving growers, skills, services, markets and livelihoods.

“The opportunity is to help more of these enterprises develop into sustainable businesses that can employ others, supply larger markets, and, where possible, compete beyond Ghana,” she said.

Prof Naana Jane said government programmes such as Feed Ghana provide opportunities for the horticulture sector to expand, with vegetables among the priority crops.

She pointed to support for irrigation, improved inputs, greenhouse production and market access as areas that could help the sector do more.

She also highlighted the establishment of farmer service centres across the country, saying they are intended to bring services closer to producers, including export support, inputs, machinery, and market linkages.

The Vice President said the environmental agenda also aligns with the Tree for Life initiative, under which millions of seedlings are being planted.

She added that assemblies are being encouraged to work with parks and gardens to improve and maintain green spaces in towns and cities.

Prof Naana Jane further challenged stakeholders to create stronger opportunities for young people in horticulture by connecting agriculture with technology, creativity and enterprise.

“The opportunity is not only to encourage young people to grow more, but also to help them to see the businesses they can build around their produce,” she said.

She called for stronger collaboration among local authorities, developers, businesses, training institutions and financial institutions to grow the green economy.

“Green means business,” she said, urging stakeholders to consider how Ghana can become greener while creating businesses and livelihoods.