The Ghana Development Bank (GDB) is aiming to use the 2025 Channel One TV AgriFair as a platform to engage directly with farmers and other players in the agriculture value chain, according to the Bank’s Chief Economist, Professor Eric Osei-Assibey.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, June 16, ahead of the AgriFair, Prof. Osei-Assibey said the bank views the event as a strategic opportunity to deepen its support for the agricultural sector and raise awareness of its services among key stakeholders.
“We have high expectations,” he stated. “We believe this is an opportune time to engage potential customers—especially farmers—along the entire value chain, from production to financing. Some of our Partner Financial Institutions (PFIs) will be present as well. We intend to walk participants through our offerings and identify viable projects that we can support with funding.”
Explaining the bank’s decision to sponsor the 2025 AgriFair, Prof. Osei-Assibey emphasised agriculture’s central role in Ghana’s development goals.
“If you look at our mandate as a development bank, agriculture is one of the priority sectors. It’s a way to catalyse economic growth, create jobs for the youth, and diversify our exports. This fair provides a rare opportunity to bring together producers, aggregators, processors, and distributors in one place,” he said.
Prof. Osei-Assibey noted that the bank aims to use the platform not just to showcase its services, but to offer coaching and support to farmers and agribusiness players who may be unaware of the GDB’s role.
“If we want to create jobs, ensure food security, and conserve foreign exchange, we need to be strategic in our approach. A lot of farmers still don’t know about GDB, and we plan to use this event to change that,” he added.
The Channel One TV AgriFair is happening from June 20 to June 22, 2025, at the Efua Sutherland Park, Accra, and is expected to draw participants from across Ghana’s agriculture ecosystem.