By Nadia Ntiamoah
The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) is stepping into a renewed and strategic role as the key implementer of Ghana’s latest agricultural transformation agenda—Grow24, an ambitious policy launched by President John Dramani Mahama to revolutionize food production and rural economies under his broader “24hr+” development programme.
With a track record of executing large-scale developmental projects, MiDA is drawing from its experience managing the $547 million U.S.-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact to drive Grow24’s objectives.
The initiative, particularly focused on the Volta Economic Corridor, aims to irrigate over two million hectares of farmland to enable year-round, commercially viable agriculture.
MiDA’s Chief Executive Officer, Alexander Kofi-Mensah Mould, in an interview, revealed that the Authority’s role has evolved from solely managing donor-funded infrastructure projects to now leading Ghana’s homegrown agricultural modernization efforts.
“Through the MCC Compact, we developed proven, high-impact models ready for nationwide implementation,” Mould said.
“We’re now building on that foundation to support food security, economic diversification, and rural industrialization under Grow24.”
The original MCC Compact, completed in 2016, included a successful $189 million Agriculture Project, one of the largest investments under the agreement.
A standout initiative within that project was the Land Tenure Facilitation (LTF) Activity, which improved land documentation and security, helping smallholder farmers access credit and invest confidently in their fields.
This program, Mould explained, significantly improved agricultural productivity and is now serving as a blueprint for broader interventions under Grow24.
Key strategies being adapted from the MCC era include advanced land preparation and leveling, the deployment of precision irrigation systems, and integrated agronomic models tailored to diverse climatic and soil conditions across Ghana’s agro-ecological zones.
MiDA is already working with agricultural engineers and environmental planners to ensure that the land under the Volta Corridor project is optimally prepared for irrigation and mechanized farming.
According to Mould, these activities are being informed by agro-economic data and lessons learned from the MCC Compact, allowing MiDA to avoid past pitfalls and fast-track implementation.
The Volta Economic Corridor, envisioned as a powerhouse of food production, is not only expected to boost local food security but also support exports and create thousands of jobs, especially for youth and women in rural communities.
The corridor spans multiple districts and is part of a broader plan to develop agro-industrial zones linked by modern infrastructure.
“Grow24 represents a bold new vision for agricultural development in Ghana, and MiDA is fully prepared to deliver on that promise,” Mould stated, highlighting MiDA’s expanded mandate as a national agricultural delivery agency.
