From KNUST Student Leader to TCDA CEO: How Andy Osei Okrah built a legacy of institutional development

The Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), Dr Andy Osei Okrah’s approach to leadership and institutional development can be traced to his time as a student leader at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where he initiated a project aimed at addressing accommodation challenges on campus.

In 2000, KNUST was experiencing pressure on its residential facilities as the student population exceeded 10,000, while existing halls could accommodate fewer than 20 percent of students. Many students were therefore compelled to find accommodation in surrounding communities, resulting in increased rent, long daily commutes and security concerns.

As a candidate for the presidency of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Dr Okrah proposed the establishment of an SRC Development Fund to mobilise resources for the construction of a hostel that would provide additional accommodation for students.

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After assuming office, he pursued the initiative by engaging students and establishing a seed capital fund that reportedly raised nearly GH¢250,000. The initiative was described as the first of its kind at the university at the time.

To provide a governance structure for the project, Dr Okrah established an independent Board of Trustees involving representatives from the university management, corporate institutions and the secretariat of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

Students were also involved in the technical aspects of the project. Geodetic engineering students conducted a survey of the proposed site, while architecture students were given the opportunity to submit designs for a facility intended to accommodate about 1,000 students.

Following approval from the Asantehene and the allocation of land by the University Council, construction of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Hostel commenced.

Although Dr Okrah's tenure as SRC president ended shortly after the foundation was laid, the governance structure established for the project enabled subsequent SRC administrations to continue with it. The project reportedly remained active through 12 successive SRC administrations over a period of about a decade before the facility was completed and commissioned.

The experience subsequently became part of Dr Okrah’s professional approach to leadership and institutional development.

He later served as Director of Human Resources at the Forestry Commission, Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister and Board Chairman of the Students Loan Trust Fund, among other roles.

He also founded the Young Professionals and Youth Coalition, through which initiatives including the Transform Summit and the Tertiary Mentors–Mentees Leadership Workshop were established to provide leadership and mentorship opportunities for young people.

The organisation says these initiatives have reached more than 100,000 young people across Ghana.

Dr Okrah is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), where he oversees an institution responsible for the development and regulation of key tree crop value chains.

The authority covers six major tree crops—cashew, oil palm, rubber, mango, coconut and shea.

In his current role, Dr Okrah is seeking to apply his experience in institutional development to the tree crops sector, with a focus on improving the value chains, attracting investment and increasing local processing.

The broader objective is to strengthen Ghana’s capacity to move beyond the export of raw agricultural commodities and increase value addition within the country.

His leadership at the TCDA therefore represents another phase of a career that has largely focused on institutional development, youth empowerment and the creation of structures intended to remain sustainable beyond individual leadership tenures.

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