How Acheampong joined volunteers to build Dawhenya irrigation canal

In July 1973, then Head of State Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong joined volunteers at the Dawhenya Irrigation Scheme, taking part in the construction of a major canal as part of efforts to expand agricultural production in Ghana.

During the visit, Colonel Acheampong put aside official protocol, picked up a shovel, and worked alongside students, soldiers, and women volunteers who were helping to construct a 5.5-mile irrigation canal for the wider Accra Plains Irrigation Project.

The canal was part of the government's plans to develop large-scale irrigation infrastructure to support year-round farming, increase food production, and reduce the country's dependence on rain-fed agriculture.

Bahamas renews work permits for Ghanaian construction and engineering workers

The memory was reignited by a post shared on X by Ghana Facts & History on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Photographs from the period show Col. Acheampong standing in the canal with volunteers and digging alongside them rather than merely inspecting the project.

The Dawhenya Irrigation Scheme later became one of Ghana's major irrigation projects, supporting the cultivation of crops such as rice and vegetables while creating employment opportunities for farming communities in the Accra Plains.

The visit has since been remembered as one of the moments in Ghana's history when a national leader participated directly in a public development project, highlighting the emphasis placed on collective effort and agricultural development during that period.

ANAS/MA

July 1973: Head of State Col. Acheampong visited the Dawhenya Irrigation Scheme, where students, soldiers & women volunteers helped build a 5.5-mile canal for the wider Accra Plains project. Acheampong rolled up his sleeves & joined the volunteers in the canal with his own shove pic.twitter.com/hThNcB0Ivr

— GHANA FACTS & HISTORY (@GhanaianMuseum) July 7, 2026