IMANI Hails MiDA-IFC Partnership as Game-Changer for Ghana’s Agro-Industrial Agenda

Public Policy think tank IMANI Africa has welcomed the partnership between the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), touting it as a blueprint for transformational agricultural reform and a potential game-changer for Ghana’s agro-industrial future.

The partnership between MiDA and the IFC, announced days ago, seeks to develop large-scale agribusiness enclaves in Kasunya, Oti, and Afram Plains, covering nearly 50,000 acres. These zones are being developed with critical infrastructure such as irrigation, electricity, roads, and housing to make the land viable for commercial farming.

But what has drawn IMANI’s attention and praise is not just the scale of the initiative, but its methodical, research-first approach. The think tank believes this approach is a major deviation from the ways that have failed to yield the anticipated results in the agricultural sector.

In IMANI’s critical analysis cited by The High Street Journal, the think confessed that, “The partnership between the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), focused on developing large-scale agribusiness enclaves, is a good plan because it starts with something Ghana’s agricultural reforms often skip: research, feasibility, and intentional design.”

A Major Shift in Strategy

Unlike previous agricultural interventions built on ambition or political momentum, the MiDA–IFC collaboration places data, not politics, at the heart of its planning.

The partnership emphasizes that before a single pipe is laid or a power line is installed, robust feasibility studies are conducted to assess viability, environmental impact, and market potential.

This new direction is critical in a country where past agriculture programs, including fertilizer subsidies, mechanization schemes, and planting campaigns, have often been derailed by poor targeting, lack of infrastructure, and little commercial viability.

IMANI recounted that, “Ghana’s agriculture sector has been full of bold programs, from subsidies to fertilizer distribution and planting campaigns. But too often, these initiatives are built before they’re studied, or funded before they’re de-risked. This project does it the other way around.”

Infrastructure That Makes Sense

By committing to core infrastructure first, roads, water, electricity, and housing, MiDA is taking on the foundational risks that usually deter private investors. The IFC is also bringing technical expertise and international investor access; the collaboration has the markings of successful agro-industrial models seen in Asia and Latin America.

“Infrastructure without planning becomes waste. Subsidies without targeting become a leakage. In agriculture, where land, water, climate, and market conditions vary widely, data-driven investment is not just good policy, it’s basic survival,” the analysis by IMANI noted.

It continued that, “this kind of research-first, infrastructure-enabled approach is exactly what Ghana’s agricultural sector needs, asking what’s viable, cost-effective, and scalable—before rolling out. And that’s critical, because no sector can thrive without research.

The Anticipated Impact

MiDA CEO Alexander Mould has stressed that the goal is not just to attract investors, but to prepare land properly and understand the real needs of anchor farmers who will drive productivity.

He says once the zones are ready, private developers will lease the land for commercial farming, creating thousands of jobs, deepening value chains, and reducing Ghana’s dependency on food imports.

IMANI maintains that this strategy also aligns with the government’s broader goals of food self-sufficiency, agro-export diversification, and rural development, but unlike previous attempts, this one is commercially grounded and designed for scale.

The public policy think tank’s analysis concludes that this partnership is one of the most well-conceived agro-industrial efforts in Ghana’s recent history, not only because of its structure, but because of what it avoids: rushed rollout, political distortion, and underfunded infrastructure.

The Bottomline

As Ghana searches for real solutions to transform its agriculture sector into an engine of growth, employment, and food security, IMANI is convinced that the MiDA–IFC partnership offers a new playbook that is based on evidence, infrastructure, and investor readiness.

If this new strategy works, Ghana could finally have the agro-industrial breakthrough it has long envisioned, this time, built from the ground up and done right.

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