Accra signs Korea deal to train 500 youth in smart farming, expand smart-city tech

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly signed a Strategic Cooperation Framework with Korea’s Daejeon Defence Industry Cooperative Association to train 500 Ga Mashie youth in smart agriculture and advance smart-city technology in the metropolis.

This took place on Wednesday in Accra.
The non-binding agreement, facilitated by A-Tech Group Korea, aims to develop skills, utilize AI for public services, and promote responsible investment over the next two years.

The A-Tech Group Korea Country Director, Michael Nii Armah Tagoe, said the framework builds on existing ties in which AMA and South Korea’s Damyang County already signed an MoU for a seasonal worker programme that will send 50 youth to Korea in batches over two years for 5-8 months of practical training in smart farming.

In total, 500 young people from Ga Mashie are expected to benefit.

Mr Tagoe said that A-Tech Group has worked with Accra since 2018, including setting up a Drone and 3D Technology Centre in Accra Technical University for training in drone piloting, 3D design, and 3D printing.

AMA is also pursuing a sister-city partnership with Daejeon Metropolitan City, represented at the signing by DICA. The agreement covers AI for public services, technical training, research, and urban regeneration.

Member of Parliament (MP)for Ododiodio Constituency, Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, who attended the ceremony, called the engagement “long-awaited and important” for Ga Mashie and Accra’s broader development. With youth unemployment and urban challenges in focus, the AMA-Korea framework positions skills transfer and technology as key tools for Accra’s growth.

Assembly officials say the first batch of trainees and new smart-city pilot projects will roll out as the two-year cooperation takes effect.