During my extensive travels across Asia in 2026, I made a striking observation that fundamentally changed my understanding of agricultural development and exposed a critical weakness in Ghana’s farming infrastructure.
As I visited numerous seed companies,

agricultural institutions, and industry associations throughout the continent, a clear pattern emerged that was impossible to ignore. In nearly every serious seed enterprise and professional association I encountered—approximately 99% of them—the leadership comprised individuals with formal qualifications in seed science or agricultural science.

These weren’t just businesspeople who had stumbled into agriculture; they were trained professionals with deep technical knowledge, scientific understanding, and genuine expertise in their field.

This revelation hit me with profound clarity: it explained exactly why seed associations and the commercial seed sector in Ghana remain chronically underdeveloped and malnourished, despite the country’s agricultural potential.
The Qualification Crisis in Ghana’s Commercial Seed Industry
The contrast with Ghana couldn’t be more stark or concerning. When I examined the landscape of commercial seed businesses in Ghana and scrutinized the composition of the Ghana Seed Association’s leadership, I discovered an alarming reality: approximately 99% of the key actors and leaders possess absolutely no formal qualifications in seed business, agricultural science, or related fields.
Who exactly are these people running Ghana’s commercial seed industry? The profile is deeply troubling:
• Former pure water sellers who have pivoted into agriculture
• Printshop operators seeking new business opportunities
• Retired civil servants looking for post-retirement income
• Unemployed degree holders—often with qualifications completely unrelated to agriculture—who see the seed sector primarily as a gateway to accessing public funds and donor money

These individuals lack the technical foundation, scientific understanding, and professional integrity that should be prerequisites for leadership in such a critical sector.

The Consequences of Unqualified Leadership
This absence of qualified, principled leadership creates a toxic environment where:

Criminal behavior is tolerated and even supported. Without professional standards or ethical frameworks rooted in genuine expertise and industry commitment, these leaders become complicit in fraudulent practices that undermine the entire sector.

Bad habits and corruption flourish unchecked. When leaders view their positions primarily as opportunities for personal enrichment rather than service to the agricultural community, institutional decay is inevitable.

The industry’s reputation suffers irreparable damage. Yet paradoxically, these are often the very individuals who receive recognition and celebration in Ghana, their lack of qualifications overlooked in favor of their visibility and connections.

A Personal Account of Systemic Corruption
I can speak from direct personal knowledge of multiple cases that illustrate just how deep this problem runs. I know of several individuals in leadership positions within Ghana’s seed sector who, upon receiving substantial donor grants intended for agricultural development, engaged in shocking financial misconduct.

These leaders signed blank checks—an audacious act of financial recklessness—made out to young women they had recruited from the National Service program. These women were ostensibly hired as accountants, but in reality, they served dual roles: maintaining the financial records and serving as the leaders’ mistresses or “side-chicks.”

The donor funds, which were meant to strengthen Ghana’s seed systems, improve farmer access to quality seeds, and build institutional capacity, were instead squandered on lavish lifestyles for these inappropriate relationships. The money disappeared into personal expenses, gifts, and entertainment for these side relationships.

Then, after completely wasting these valuable resources on their extramarital affairs and personal indulgences, these same leaders have the audacity to complain publicly about receiving “no support” from donors and government. They blame external factors for their failures while taking zero responsibility for their own corruption and mismanagement.
The Path Forward

The solution is clear but requires courage and commitment: Ghana’s commercial seed industry desperately needs a complete overhaul of its leadership structure, with qualification requirements, professional standards, and accountability mechanisms that ensure only properly trained and ethically grounded individuals can assume positions of responsibility.

Until Ghana demands the same level of expertise and professionalism in its seed sector that I witnessed throughout Asia, the industry will remain stunted, corrupt, and incapable of fulfilling its crucial role in national food security and agricultural development.

The question is: will Ghana continue to celebrate and empower these unqualified opportunists, or will it finally insist on the professional standards its farmers and food systems desperately deserve? Source: Legacy fans TV