Former Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo met with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo on Friday to discuss the proposed establishment of an Agritech Hub in Ghana, a key component of the Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Fund.
As reported by PUNCH, The Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Fund is a landmark initiative launched earlier this year to support the growth and development of Africa's innovation ecosystem. As part of this wider fund, the planned Agritech Hub in Ghana aims to serve as a pan-African center of excellence for technology-enabled agriculture.
In a statement posted to his social media platform X.com, Osinbajo highlighted the productive discussions he had with President Akufo-Addo about the hub's potential.
"It was great to spend time with my brother and friend, His Excellency, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana," Osinbajo wrote. "On the menu? Not jollof wars (sorry, everyone). Instead, we served up the proposed Agritech Hub in Ghana, part of the Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Fund—the world's largest initiative to support the African innovation ecosystem."
Osinbajo praised Akufo-Addo's firm commitment to supporting the Timbuktoo fund and its work, noting that the Ghanaian president has been a vocal champion of the initiative since its launch at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year.
"President Akufo-Addo has been a committed champion of the fund since its inauguration, which he attended in Davos this year, and he reiterated his firm commitment and support for the fund's work," Osinbajo said.
The Agritech Hub planned for Ghana is envisioned as a center that will leverage the country's existing agricultural development programs, such as Planting for Food and Jobs and E-Agric, while also benefiting from Ghana's status as the headquarters of the recently launched African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
"The Agritech Hub, designed as a Pan-African centre of excellence for tech-enabled agriculture, will benefit from Ghana's Planting for Food and Jobs and E-Agric programmes, while also leveraging the country's status as the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area," Osinbajo explained.