Stakeholders demand upgrade of Adidome Farm Institute into Agric and Veterinary College

Pressure is mounting on government to upgrade the Adidome Farm Institute in the Central Tongu District into a tertiary institution offering diploma and degree programmes in agriculture and veterinary studies.

The call was made on Monday, September 6, 2026, at a stakeholders’ engagement held by the African Afforestation Association, headquartered in Germany and facilitated by the Tongu Diaspora, chiefs, youth groups and other opinion leaders.

According to the group, the institute has for decades provided practical training in crop production, animal husbandry and the operation of agricultural machinery, but it now needs a major transformation to meet the demands of modern agriculture and youth employment.

The stakeholders are kicking against suggestions to absorb the institute into the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system.

They argue that Central Tongu already has several vocational and technical institutions, and that Adidome should retain its agricultural identity and be developed into a specialised Agric and Veterinary College.

The group says an upgrade is crucial for livestock farmers in Central Tongu and the wider Volta Region, where cattle rearing remains a key economic activity.

A veterinary component, they noted, will improve access to animal health services, strengthen disease surveillance and help prevent cross-border livestock diseases.

“Animals brought into Ghana from Togo, Benin and Nigeria can be properly examined and certified at the facility to prevent the spread of diseases,” the stakeholders stressed.

Speaking at the engagement, Mr. Light Aboetake Kwametse, a representative of the Tongu Diaspora, reminded President John Dramani Mahama of his 2024 campaign promise to upgrade the institute if elected.

He appealed to the President, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to expedite processes to fulfil the pledge.

“Adidome has fed this nation with skilled hands for over six decades, but without certificates. If government upgrades it into a degree-awarding Agric and Veterinary College, we will not only create jobs for our youth but also produce the veterinarians and mechanised farmers Ghana needs to secure its food and protect our borders,” he said.

The stakeholder engagement was addressed by Nana Kumasah Krampah II, Divisional Omankrado and Amankrakumahene of the Gomoa Assin Traditional Area and Board Chairman of the African Afforestation Association, Ghana Chapter, who said the upgraded institute could train youth in modern farming and operation of tractors and other machinery to drive employment and entrepreneurship.

“We cannot continue to train farmers for subsistence when the world is moving towards agribusiness. Turning Adidome into a tertiary college will give our children employable skills, create businesses on the land, and make Tongu the food basket and research hub Ghana has been waiting for,” he said.

Following the engagement, the delegation presented a petition to the Central Tongu District Chief Executive, Hon. Dodzi Addison Mornyuie, for onward transmission to government.