The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with USIBRAS Limited to offer capacity building for processors in the cashew value chain.
The project is part of the Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Programme II, a timely and strategic bilateral initiative between the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the Government of Ghana.
The programme, jointly implemented by NIRAS, aims to promote inclusive and sustainable growth across the cashew and oil palm value chains. It focuses on improving the enabling environment, enhancing productivity, and strengthening private-sector competitiveness which aligns with Ghana’s development priorities and UCC’s mandate as a leading institution of higher learning.
During the event, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Denis Worlanyo Aheto, stated that the cashew sector had enormous potential for job creation, export growth, industrial transformation, and improved rural livelihoods. However, to realise this potential fully, the sector requires a skilled workforce capable of meeting modern standards in processing, food safety, quality assurance, traceability, certification, and compliance with international markets. He reiterated UCC's commitment to strengthening industry-academia collaboration for national development.
The University has developed a competency-based curriculum to deliver short courses for processors in the cashew value chain. This initiative will combine classroom-based learning at the University with practical, hands-on training at USIBRAS Limited. Through this model, learners will not only acquire theoretical knowledge but also develop the practical skills needed to improve productivity and competitiveness across the sector. The training will cover modules in quality, food safety, documentation, traceability, and certification readiness across the midstream and downstream segments of the cashew value chain. More importantly, it will promote sustainable skills development through Training-of-Trainers and institutionalisation mechanisms that will ensure continuity beyond the immediate project period. The project would be implemented by colleagues from the School of Business, School of Agriculture and Eco-BPC at the University of Cape Coast.
Present at the event were the NIRAS team, including Juliana Ofori-Karikari, Jane Bech Larsen, Matej Dudak, Asare Agatha, and Stephen Debre, as well as Professor Daniel Agyapong (Project Lead) and Mr Isaac Kosi from the School of Business. Other members of the team are Professor Michael Osei-Adu of the School of Agriculture-UCC and Dr Osman Light.
