President John Mahama has appointed a researcher at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Rich Kofi Kofituo, as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crop Development Authority.

Kofituo worked with IITA as a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Expert, contributing to several high-impact international development initiatives.

IITA is one of the 14 centres of the CGIAR, formerly known as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

Founded in the 1970s by the World Bank Group, Food and Agriculture Organisation, and the United Nations Development Programme, CGIAR remains the world’s largest non-profit agricultural research institution.

Mr Kofituo brings to the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA) over 10 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, socio-economic research, project management, and capacity building.

The Authority was established in 2019 by an act of parliament to regulate and create a conducive environment for the growth and development of tree and industrial crops in Ghana.

The authority regulates the production, processing, trading, and marketing of six tree crops: cashew, shea, mango, coconut, rubber, and oil palm. It is under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

A seasoned agricultural economist, Mr Kofituo has completed his doctoral studies in Applied Agricultural Economics & Policy at the University of Ghana, awaiting graduation.

He holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Agricultural Economics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the same university.

He possesses several certifications in project management, gender diversity, and results-based monitoring.

He previously worked as a research assistant in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, the University of Ghana.

He also served as a member of the School Management Committee at the School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, and as a Students’ Representative Council (SRC) official.

Mr Kofituo specialises in tree crops value chain, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable land use.

His expertise in designing analytical frameworks and ensuring data-driven decisions will be invaluable in promoting sustainable development, improving productivity, and enhancing the competitiveness of Ghana's tree crop sector in collaboration with other stakeholders.