Opanin Abraham Kwaku Adusei was crowned the 2025 National Best Farmer at the 41st National Farmers’ Day celebration held in Ho on Friday, December 5, 2025, earning national honour for his decades of leadership in agriculture, community development and public service.
The celebrated agriculturist, religious leader, and former Member of the Council of State was recognised for his extensive contributions to Ghana’s food production and his lifelong commitment to transforming communities through education, agriculture, and grassroots mobilisation.
Born on June 21, 1946, and hailing from Osiem in the Eastern Region, Opanin Adusei has built an expansive career blending public governance, large-scale commercial farming and institutional leadership.
Trained as a teacher with university specialisation in Chemistry and History, he is widely acknowledged for managing complex organisations, inspiring rural development and promoting youth empowerment through agriculture.
Delivering his acceptance speech, Opanin Adusei appealed to the government to prioritise irrigation infrastructure, describing it as a critical pillar for sustainable food production.
“Areas including, but not limited to, the Afram Plains are blessed with vast fertile lands and hold immense potential to become the food basket of our nation, if only we can ensure reliable access to water,” he said.
He welcomed assurances from the Minister for Food and Agriculture that irrigation expansion has been incorporated into the Feed Ghana Programme, describing the move as essential to advancing the Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana and Secure the Future agenda.
Opanin Adusei also commended President John Dramani Mahama for prioritising road and bridge construction in agric-dependent areas such as the Afram Plains.
“These interventions will not only enhance agricultural productivity but also open up our rural economies, create jobs, and transform lives,” he noted.
He stressed that infrastructure development—particularly the proposed bridge over the Afram River and rehabilitation of feeder roads—would significantly improve market access for farmers.
Over the years, he has distinguished himself as a senior religious leader, commercial agriculturist and philanthropist, serving as General Superintendent and Spiritual Head of the Saviour Church of Ghana.
Between 2013 and 2017, he represented the Eastern Region on the Council of State, where he advised the Presidency on national policy direction, regional development priorities and strategic governance issues.
He consistently advocated youth-focused agricultural reforms and coordinated humanitarian interventions, including support for communities affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage.
He also played a significant role in promoting peace and national cohesion during periods of political tension.
In agriculture, Opanin Adusei manages more than 400 acres of cocoa plantations across the Eastern and Western Regions and has been recognised internationally as the World’s Best Cocoa Farmer by the International Cocoa Conference.
He further led the development of about 5,000 acres of church-owned farmland for maize, yam, mango and vegetable cultivation, generating employment and supporting educational and health institutions.
He has been instrumental in creating jobs for young professionals in agriculture, education, healthcare and administration, overseeing a nationwide workforce across the church’s enterprises and promoting agriculture as a lucrative economic pathway for the youth.
His impact extends deeply into social infrastructure. Under his leadership, the Saviour Church of Ghana has built 28 basic schools, a senior high school, and a nursing and midwifery training college.
He also founded major health facilities, including the Hawa Memorial Hospital at Osiem and another hospital in Bekwai, serving thousands of people annually. He oversees a national organisation with more than 100,000 members and provides guidance in finance, infrastructure development, public welfare programmes and inter-regional coordination.
Opanin Adusei’s honour reflects not only agricultural excellence but also his broader influence in national development. His work across governance, faith leadership, philanthropy, education, and community empowerment continues to shape lives across the country.
The 2025 National Best Farmer Award affirms his legacy as a nation-builder whose contributions span far beyond the farm gates, embodying the spirit of service, leadership and agricultural transformation.
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