African Development Bank Team Engages GSA Director-General on Strategic Issues

A delegation from the African Development Bank (AfDB), on Wednesday April 15, 2026, paid a courtesy call to the Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Prof. George Agyei and some senior officials of the Authority at the head office in Accra. The visit discussed independent evaluation of AfDB’s support to Private Sector Engagement (PSE) in agriculture and how the GSA has evolved in relation to agricultural standards and certification over the period. The team, led by Mr. Andson Nsune of the Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV), explained that the visit was aimed at gathering findings and key lessons to help shape the implementation of the Bank’s new 10-year strategy focused on promoting private sector growth within the agricultural sector. Prof. Agyei noted that the AfDB remains one of Ghana’s key partners, playing a vital role in the country’s development efforts. He added that based on GSA’s mandate, the Authority is closely aligned to every sector of the economy, including agriculture. “In Ghana, our agricultural export is increasing steadily, and the government is pushing accelerated export development policy to boost the agricultural sector, and without standards, we cannot go anywhere. Standard is the language of trade, so once we are developing agriculture, if we don’t link it to standards, we will be stuck,” he stated. He further stressed that standards must not be an afterthought in the planning process for the Bank’s 10-year strategy, emphasizing that as systems are being designed to support the agricultural sector, standards should be integrated from the beginning and embedded at every stage. Hon. Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite, the Deputy Director-General in charge of general Services (DDG-GEN), added that Ghana, over the past 10 years, has maintained a good relationship with the AfDB and this has made agriculture a key priority area in the diversification of the economy. He said that GSA is playing a critical role in the realization of government’s bid to revolutionize agriculture. The Head of International Relations at the GSA, Mr. George Anti, and Mr. Kofi Yeboah Debrah, Acting Head of Public Relations, were also present during the discussion, where they shared insights on the critical role the GSA plays in setting and promoting standards within the agricultural sector. The AfDB is undertaking evaluations of the Bank’s support to PSE in agriculture and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) in Ghana.