The Executive Director and Founder of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, has urged foreign investors seeking to establish partnerships with Ghanaian agribusinesses to emulate the investment and relationship-building approach of renowned Dutch investor, Henry Wientjes.
She made the call at the recently concluded EU-Ghana Agribusiness Exhibition Forum 2026, held in Accra on Thursday, October 29, 2026, under the theme, “Building Successful EU-Ghana Agribusiness Partnerships,” organized by EuroCham Ghana.
Speaking during a panel discussion, Alberta described Henry Wientjes’ approach to investment and partnership development as a model worth emulating, particularly for investors seeking to establish sustainable businesses and long-term relationships in Ghana.
She explained that his approach was anchored in building relationships and establishing trust through extensive research, community engagement and background checks. This enabled him to understand the indigenous people, their way of life, beliefs, values, and the social and economic dynamics of the communities in which he intended to invest.
According to her, rather than rushing into business transactions, Wientjes took time to travel across Ghana’s regions, interact with local communities, identify gaps within the agricultural sector and understand the people and the opportunities they offered.
“Henry Wientjes’ model is very successful and worth learning from if you are looking at building strong and long-term partnerships. He travelled across all the regions in Ghana, understood the people, identified the gaps within the sector, built relationships, studied the communities and established trust,” she said.
Alberta noted that this relationship-driven investment approach contributed to the development of sustainable agricultural ventures and partnerships, citing the emergence of renowned agribusinesses and initiatives such as Yara Ghana, Wienco Ghana Limited and the Cocoa Abrabopa Association as examples associated with the approach.
She further highlighted investments in irrigation infrastructure covering over 1,000 acres of farmland and initiatives supporting the production of leading local seed varieties as part of the broader impact of this investment philosophy.
She stressed that the Henry Wientjes model goes beyond identifying gaps within the agricultural sector and offering immediate solutions for commercial gain. Rather, it demonstrates the importance of understanding local realities, building credibility and creating mutually beneficial relationships before pursuing business opportunities.
Building on this example, Alberta urged prospective investors and Ghanaian agribusiness owners to move beyond short-term sales, transactions and isolated interventions. She encouraged them to spend time on the ground, interact with local communities, engage farmer groups and agricultural associations, and establish relationships based on trust and a clear understanding of shared interests.
She maintained that sustainable EU-Ghana agribusiness partnerships must be founded on shared value, mutual trust and a clear appreciation of what each partner brings to the table.
“Getting to know the people is very important when you want to build strong partnerships, and out of that, you can build a lasting business as an investor,” she emphasised.
She concluded that adopting this approach would help create lasting economic opportunities, strengthen local agricultural enterprises and contribute meaningfully to agricultural development across Ghana’s regions.
