More than 25 young men and women from Northern Ghana are now certified commercial drone operators following the successful completion of the HAPPYtech precision-farming module — a first for the HAPPY Program.
The graduates completed 12 weeks of intensive training covering drone assembly, flight operations, crop-health mapping, and agro-chemical application. All 25 passed the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority's UAS operator examination on first attempt.
What This Means
Drone technology is transforming how farmers monitor crop health, apply inputs, and plan harvests. By certifying young Ghanaians as operators, HAPPY is creating a new category of agri-tech service provider that can serve thousands of smallholder farmers across the Upper East and Upper West regions.
"I never imagined I would be flying drones over rice fields. Now I have a business and three farmers already paying for my services." — Aisha, HAPPY drone graduate
The programme is funded by the Mastercard Foundation as part of the broader HAPPY (Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth) initiative.