Eni, Ghana inaugurate business, agricultural training project

The company also signed an agreement with CDP for the joint definition of sustainable development initiatives in Africa

The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, in the company of Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo and ENI CEO Claudio Descalzi on Thursday inaugurated in Dormaa East, Bono Region, the Okuafo Pa Agricultural Training Center which is a pilot initiative of the Africa Project aimed at supporting economic diversification in the agricultural sector through skills transfer and business support for a self-sustaining agricultural consortia.

During the event, Eni and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, CDP, in its capacity as a financial institution for international cooperation for development, signed a cooperation agreement for the definition of sustainable development initiatives in the agri-business sector. The agreement also provides for a joint definition of mechanisms to facilitate access to credit in favour of the local communities and to use available international funds to promote sustainable development initiatives.

The Okuafo Pa campus extends over an area of 40 hectares includes experimental laboratories and farming areas; it will provide theoretical and practical vocational training to 800 students per year in the agricultural, agri-food and zoo-technical fields. The training courses are developed in collaboration with local universities, and trainees can focus either on farming courses or agri-business courses.

“Professional training and skill acquisition is a precondition for social and economic development. Eni intends to play an active role in defining virtuous paths for sustainable growth in the countries in which it operates, and this project is a concrete example of what we can do if we pool our resources and those of our partners,” said Claudio Descalzi.

The project, developed by Eni in collaboration with the Ghanaian government, is now enhanced by the collaboration with CDP, will ensure the identification of the most appropriate mechanisms to access credit, as well as Coldiretti and  Bonifiche Ferraresi, which will guarantee support in the start-up of agricultural activities.

This initiative is aimed at achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), in particular SDG 1: no poverty; SDG 4 quality education; SDG 5: gender equality; SDG 6: clean water and sanitation; SDG 8: decent work and economic growth; SDG 12: responsible consumption and production; SDG 17: private public partnerships.

Source: Kafui Gale-Zoyiku