Fisheries Minister Inaugurates Committee to Develop Curriculum for Anomabo Fisheries College

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mrs. Emelia Arthur, has tasked the newly inaugurated Ministerial Committee with developing the academic curriculum for the long-awaited Anomabo Fisheries College.

She said this during the inauguration of the board on Friday in Accra.

She stated the college “was the brainchild of His Excellency, the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills in 2012 as a noble intervention to enhance the expertise and skills of emerging professionals.”

She acknowledged the project stalled for years “due to financial constraints and the low capacity of Project contractors.”

The Minister confirmed the government’s commitment to finishing the project by completing critical infrastructure components and operationalising the Anomabo Fisheries College by the first quarter of 2025.

She added that establishing the college “reflects the Government’s commitment to promoting knowledge and skill development in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Madam Arthur reported that Phase I construction, including classroom blocks, an administration block, labs, and hostels, was approximately 85% complete.

“Work is progressing steadily to ensure that critical components are completed, furnished, and operationalised for the first intake of students and trainees by the first quarter of 2026,” she added.

According to the minister, the newly formed committee holds a central role in preparing the college. The primary mandate would be “developing an academic curriculum that is informed by industry needs and adheres to international best practices.”

The committee has been assigned eleven specific tasks, including reviewing existing fisheries training models in Ghana and internationally, determining the college’s name, vision, mission, and core values, proposing its organisational and governance structure, identifying priority academic programs and developing the curriculum framework, recommending staffing needs and strategies for industry links and internships and proposing quality assurance mechanisms and outlining resource requirements.

“I encourage broader and active collaboration with stakeholders from research, academia, industry practitioners, government, and non-governmental organisations”, the minister said.

She also advised the committee to learn from successful international models while tailoring those insights to Ghana’s unique context.

“The work you undertake over the next two months will be instrumental in shaping the future of our fisheries and aquaculture industry,” she added.

Madam Authur reiterated that funding has been secured to complete the remaining structures, stating that the Ministry of Finance allocated funds for the purpose. She said immediate priorities include completing the principal’s bungalow, teachers’ quarters, a retaining wall, and internal roads.

The committee is expected to submit its final report with recommendations to the Ministry.

The Minister chairs the committee; other members include Mr. John Quayson, Prof. Benjamin Campion, Prof. Elvis Nyarko, Captain William Wricketts, and Prof. Ernest Abano, Dr. Aggrey Fynn, Prof. George Wiafe, Dr. Angela Lamptey, Dr. Andrews Apraku, Dr. Ayisi Larbi, Madam Comfort Naa Komely Adjetey, Mr. Joojo Solomon, Nana Kweigyah, Ilona Appiah, and Mr. Eric Baah.

Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD