Accra, April 17, – The University of Ghana has recorded a landmark academic achievement with the promotion of Dr Daniel Adu Ankrah to full Professor of Agricultural Extension, making him the youngest and first scholar to reach the rank within the department’s nearly 50-year history.
His elevation also stands out nationally due to the speed of his academic progression—moving from Lecturer to Professor in about nine years, a trajectory regarded as one of the fastest in the university’s modern academic record.
Prof. Ankrah, who currently heads the Department of Agricultural Extension, described his career path as driven by early passion for agriculture, shaped during his formative education in Accra and strengthened through years of research, fieldwork and international exposure.
He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Cape Coast in 2004, later obtaining an MPhil in Agricultural Administration at the University of Ghana. In 2010, he pursued a PhD in International Rural Development at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, where his research work took him across several countries including Canada, Turkey, France and the United States.
After returning to Ghana in 2015, he joined the University of Ghana in 2016 as a Lecturer and rose rapidly through the ranks—becoming Senior Lecturer in 2021, Associate Professor in 2023, and full Professor in 2025.
Prof. Ankrah has built a strong research profile, with dozens of peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals indexed on Scopus and Web of Science, alongside a citation record exceeding 1,000. His work spans agricultural extension, rural development, and food systems transformation.
Beyond academia, he has participated in major consultancy and development projects with institutions including the World Bank, USAID, ECOWAS, the European Union, DANIDA and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
He has also contributed to multi-million-dollar research collaborations and currently leads and participates in several international projects focused on agricultural innovation systems and food security, involving partners across Africa and Europe.
At the University of Ghana, he has helped mobilise over US$16 million in research funding, supporting postgraduate training and policy-relevant agricultural research.
Prof. Ankrah expressed appreciation to mentors and colleagues who supported his journey, noting that his focus now is on expanding research capacity and training the next generation of agricultural leaders.
He said his academic philosophy is rooted in discipline, innovation and service, adding that ambition must be matched with consistent effort and commitment to impact.
The University of Ghana described his promotion as a significant milestone for the College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences and a boost for research leadership in agricultural extension in Ghana.
GHBUSS
April 17, 2026
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