Ghana has set its sights on becoming a leading exporter of agricultural technology on the African continent, as President John Dramani Mahama underscored the country’s commitment to building a strong, locally driven agritech industry.

Speaking at the opening of the Ghana Agrotech Fair 2026, President Mahama said the country must move beyond reliance on imported machinery and instead invest in homegrown innovation to transform its agricultural sector.

“No nation can transform its agricultural economy while indefinitely depending on imported machinery, processing lines and technological systems at every stage of production,” he stated.

The President emphasized that supporting local manufacturers of agricultural machinery and agro-processing equipment is critical to Ghana’s long-term economic transformation.

“If Ghana is serious about agricultural transformation, we must deliberately build the capacity to design, fabricate, adapt, maintain and scale agricultural technologies locally,” he said.

According to him, this strategic shift will not only reduce import dependence but also create jobs and strengthen the country’s industrial base.

“When we support local agritech manufacturing, we are strengthening Ghana’s industrial base, creating skilled employment for our young people, and retaining greater value within our national economy,” Mahama noted.

He added that Ghana’s ambition goes beyond domestic production, positioning the country as a key player in the regional agritech market.

“It makes us position Ghana not only as a consumer of agricultural technology, but as a producer and exporter of it across the African continent,” he stressed.

President Mahama highlighted that the focus on agritech aligns with the government’s broader economic agenda, including the Feed Ghana Programme and efforts to modernize the agricultural value chain.

“Agriculture must no longer be treated solely as a subsistence sector, but as a strategic pillar of national economic growth, industrial expansion and export development,” he said.

He further pointed out that modern agriculture must be driven by innovation, technology, and value addition across the entire production chain.

“The future of agriculture lies not simply in expanding acreage, but in modernizing the entire agricultural value chain—from the farm to the factory,” he added.

The Ghana Agrotech Fair 2026 brought together stakeholders from government, industry, research institutions and the private sector, showcasing innovations aimed at boosting productivity, reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing competitiveness.

President Mahama urged all stakeholders to play their part in achieving the country’s vision.

“To our entrepreneurs and manufacturers, continue to build and scale solutions made in Ghana, for Africa,” he said.

He also encouraged investors to take a more active role in the sector, stressing that “agrotech must move from an admired concept to a bankable, scalable industry.”

A light aircraft that crashed in Tema on Monday, March 16, 2026, killing two people, was not equipped with a flight data recorder, or black box, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has confirmed, highlighting glaring lapses in aviation safety oversight.

The absence of the critical device has intensified concerns about the ability to determine exactly what went wrong, raising questions about regulatory enforcement and the risks passengers face on small aircraft in Ghana.

Investigators scramble amid wreckage

AAIB Commissioner, Mr John M. K. Wumborti, led a team back to the crash site on Tuesday, March 17, to retrieve debris from the wreckage. “We successfully collected the wreckage with support from the Ghana Air Force. This material is essential for further analysis,” he told journalists.

The crash site, located near the Oninku Drive School Park at Site 17, remains a grim reminder of how fragile aviation safeguards can be when essential safety equipment is missing.

Eyewitness accounts compiled

Investigators have interviewed witnesses who saw the aircraft fall. Mr Wumborti said their testimonies, combined with the physical evidence, would be critical to reconstructing the events leading to the crash.

Coordination applauded, questions remain

While the swift response of security and emergency agencies—including the military, police, fire service, and National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO)—has been praised, aviation experts warn that emergency preparedness alone cannot compensate for missing safety devices and regulatory gaps.

Victims’ identities yet to be disclosed

The identities of the victims remain undisclosed as the Bureau adheres to protocol. “At the appropriate time, the public and families will be informed,” Mr Wumborti said.

This incident underscores persistent vulnerabilities in Ghana’s aviation sector, particularly regarding the oversight of small aircraft operations. The lack of black box installation has sparked calls from safety advocates for stricter enforcement and urgent reforms to prevent future tragedies.

If you want, I can also rewrite it in a sharper, investigative style, making it read almost like a scandal report that questions why regulations allowed this to happen. Do you want me to do that next?

Two people have lost their lives after a small aircraft crashed and caught fire near a school park at Tema Community One in the Greater Accra Region on Monday afternoon.

The incident, which occurred at about 4 p.m., happened at the Oninku Drive School Park at Site 17, close to the TMA Daycare Centre. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft descending unusually before it crashed and burst into flames.

Personnel from the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded swiftly to the emergency, working to contain the fire and secure the area.

According to Divisional Officer II Ebenezer Yenzu, Tema Regional Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, an initial distress call was received just before 1 p.m., reporting a fire outbreak in the area.

“By the time we arrived, we realised it involved a helicopter that had fallen close to the wall of the daycare facility,” he said.

Firefighters, with support from personnel of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, managed to extinguish the blaze and cordon off the scene to prevent further risk to nearby residents.

Authorities confirmed that all teachers and pupils at the daycare centre had been safely evacuated before emergency teams arrived, ensuring no casualties among the children.

“None of the pupils or teachers sustained any injuries, as they had already moved to safety,” Mr Yenzu added.

However, two men on board the aircraft were found dead after the fire was brought under control. Their bodies have since been retrieved and deposited at the morgue by police for preservation and autopsy.

The crash site has been secured as investigations begin into the cause of the accident. Officials say aviation experts will be engaged to assist with the probe.

Mr Yenzu disclosed that the aircraft has been identified with registration number 9G-ADV, although details regarding its origin and the circumstances leading to the crash remain unclear.

Assembly Member for the Kwesi Plange Electoral Area, Ahmed Abdullia, also confirmed that no schoolchildren were harmed in the incident.

Eyewitnesses described moments of panic as the aircraft hovered low before crashing. Some residents rushed to the scene and attempted to control the fire using water from nearby sources before the arrival of emergency services.

One of the first responders, Sadik Abdulai, said their immediate focus was to move children away from danger while preventing the flames from spreading.

Investigations are ongoing.