Background

Awal Abdul-Rahaman (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer, Researcher, and Agribusiness and Value Chain development consultant in the Department of Agribusiness at the University for Development Studies, Nyankpala campus, Tamale, Ghana. He obtained his PhD in Agricultural Economics from the Institute of Food Economics and Consumption Studies, University of Kiel, Germany, and both Mphil and BSc. Agribusiness from the University of Ghana. He has essential skills in smallholder group capacity and business development, and hands-on experience in Agricultural value chain commodities in Africa. Dr. Abdul-Rahaman has also led and managed development interventions in several districts and communities in Ghana. He has coordinated and led development efforts aimed at improving farming systems, increasing input supply to smallholder farmers, improving agricultural yields, and promoting smallholder market access. He has substantial expertise in participatory appraisal processes, baseline surveys, project monitoring and evaluation and impact assessment and agribusiness solutions and advocacy.

Dr. Abdul-Rahaman has worked with, and managed relationships with a number of development agencies including the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Action Aid Ghana, ACDI/VOCA ADVANCE, Canadian Feed the Children (CFTC), AGRA, IFDC, Millennium Villages Project, Savannah Farmers Marketing Company (SFMC), Concern Universal among others. He successfully coordinated capacity building of Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) in modules such as smallholder group formation and development, technical capacity development, business development, and assisted in churning out 72 bankable business and environmental impact assessment plans for each participating FBO for implementation in shea, rice, maize, and soyabean value chains in northern Ghana under the MiDA-CDFO project. Dr. Abdul-Rahaman’s Doctoral research was focused on the “Coordination and impact of agricultural value chain approach on farm performance with evidence from smallholder rice farming households in northern Ghana”. He has written extensively on the value chain development of northern Ghana, and published in reputable journals such as Food Policy, Agribusiness, African Development Review, Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies.

Email address: awalrahaman@uds.edu.gh