Immigration Officer honoured for championing agriculture education in schools

Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) Shadrach Azangweo of the Ghana Immigration Service has been honoured by Methodist Girls’ Senior High School (MEGHIS) for his exceptional role in promoting agricultural education among students.

The recognition follows the school’s recent accolade as Best School Farm at the 40th National Farmers’ Day Awards, hosted by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

school authorities say ACI Azangweo played a pivotal role in the achievement, having inspired and supported the development of the school’s agriculture club, which has since become a model for youth agricultural engagement nationwide.

ACI Azangweo, a senior officer with the Immigration Service and an avid agriculturist, owns AppleJack Farms and has previously been awarded Best Meat Processor in 2014 and Overall Best Farmer in 2023 in his district.

His long-standing belief that “if agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have a chance to go right” has driven his mission to introduce young people to farming as a viable career path and life skill.

As part of his outreach, he has led the formation of agricultural clubs in a number of second-cycle institutions, including MEGHIS, Mount Sinai Senior High School in Akropong, and is currently collaborating with Aburi Presbyterian Secondary Technical School to establish a similar club.

These clubs provide students with hands-on training in sustainable farming, aquaculture, food security, and environmental conservation.

Through gardening, mushroom cultivation, and fish farming projects, students not only gain practical skills but are also introduced to entrepreneurship within the agriculture sector.

During a recent visit to Methodist Girls’ SHS, ACI Azangweo donated farming inputs such as vegetable seeds, seedlings, tilapia fingerlings, mushroom compost, gardening tools, and aerators to support the students' farming projects.

He also led a workshop on backyard gardening, emphasizing its nutritional and economic benefits.

“We are planting more than seeds; we are cultivating a mindset,” ACI Azangweo told students during the engagement.

“By nurturing an interest in agriculture early, we are preparing the next generation to feed themselves, their communities, and the nation.”

Educators, parents, and agricultural stakeholders have lauded the initiative for bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world agricultural practice.

It aligns with national efforts to promote food self-sufficiency and reduce youth unemployment through agribusiness.

The Methodist Girls’ SHS award and the recognition of ACI Azangweo’s efforts underscore the growing importance of agriculture in education and national development.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith