Ghana has secured a commitment from Japanese agric-fintech startup, Degas Limited, to invest $100 million in the country’s Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered agricultural hub, which the government dubbed a groundbreaking first-of-its-kind project in Africa.

The Ghanaian government made the announcement in a statement on Friday, stating that Degas pledged $100 million investment over the next four years to help Ghana establish its AI-powered agricultural hub.

“Degas Limited has announced a $100 million investment over the next four years to help establish Ghana as Africa’s first AI-powered agricultural hub,” the statement said.

The investment will aid Ghana in expanding the model that has already financed more than 86,000 smallholder farmers across 122,000 acres nationwide, including setting up satellite-enabled crop monitoring and precision agronomy services.

“Ghana has shown that when technology meets a clear national vision, smallholder farmers can thrive,” said Doga Makiura, CEO and founder of Degas Limited, at a meeting with President John Dramani Mahama on the sidelines of the Ghana Presidential Investment Forum.

He added, “Our $100 million commitment will scale AI-driven satellite monitoring and precision agriculture techniques so farmers can boost yields, reduce risk, and access fairly priced finance.

“We’ve already seen incomes double with a 95% repayment rate from the farmers”, he stated in the meeting with President Mahama.”

Meanwhile, Mr Mahama said the investment attests to the potential of Ghana’s agricultural sector, adding that AI will help leverage technological advancement to improve productivity.

“This investment reinforces our commitment to integrated agricultural value chains that connect farmers to markets, finance, storage, and processing. By leveraging AI and precision technologies, we will improve productivity, enhance food security, and create dignified jobs for youth across rural communities,” he said.