In 2022, this connection led to Senator Schilz’s first visit to Ghana. During this trip, he met Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, the founder of Agrihouse Foundation. They had discussions and discovered a shared passion for agriculture and a common goal of creating value for crops and livestock in Ghana. Their conversations focused on the potential for collaboration between Ghana and Nebraska, exploring ways to bring agricultural opportunities from Ghana to the United States and vice versa.
The Ghana Nebraska Agribusiness Growth and Trade Relations Chamber was established through the vision and collaboration of key individuals from Ghana and Nebraska, with Senator Ken Schilz, a former Nebraska State Senator, playing a pivotal role. The journey began in 2012 when Senator Schilz first learned about Ghana. Over the years, he fostered a connection with the country by hosting groups and individuals from Ghana, which helped to deepen the relationship between the two regions.
The idea of forming a formal organization to facilitate this collaboration gained momentum in 2023 at the Husker Harvest Days event in Nebraska, where over 20 delegates from Ghana were able to experience Nebraska’s agricultural advancements.
This event became the catalyst for the concept of creating the Ghana Nebraska Agribusiness Growth and Trade Relations Chamber, an organization dedicated to connecting agricultural interests between Ghana and Nebraska and fostering solutions to common challenges.