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Across Africa, industry leaders are increasingly clear about one thing: machines alone will not transform the continent’s economies—people will. In a series of interviews with CEOs and entrepreneurs, stakeholders from the private sector highlighted the urgent need for advanced skills, PhD-level research, and innovation capacity to solve complex technical challenges and reduce dependence on imported expertise.

Their message strongly aligns with the mission of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif): building a highly skilled workforce capable of driving industrial competitiveness, strengthening local value chains, and turning African research into practical solutions for Africa’s development.

Here is part one in the series of interviews we did with industry leaders on the matter. We interviewed Ghanaian entrepreneur Patricia Poku-Diaby, the CEO of PLOT Enterprise Ghana Limited and PLOT Enterprise SA in Côte d’Ivoire – a modern state-of-the-art cocoa processing company. Patricia is to date, the only woman in Africa to establish a large-sized cocoa processing business.

Q: Please give us a brief overview of your company

A: PLOT Enterprise (GH) Ltd established in 2010, is a Cocoa Processing facility, located in Takoradi, in the Western Region of Ghana where about 60% of Ghana’s cocoa is produced.

At PLOT, we differentiate ourselves by adding “more value” to the Cocoa bean with state-of-the-art equipment and a process line that boasts one of the finest technologies.

We operate to the highest standards, processing our beans into cocoa liquor or mass as its called in Europe, cocoa cake, cocoa butter (natural or alkalized), powder and more recently, chocolates and a chocolate drink.

Every product undergoes a meticulous process that reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence, while remaining attentive to evolving consumer trends. 

Q: Can you share an example of how investing in advanced skills—such as technical training, research capacity, or innovation—has directly improved productivity, reduced costs, or enabled your company to develop new products or services?

A: I always say that a processing plant without skilled people is nothing more than a stranded asset and that is why our most consistent investment is in cultivating the specialized skills essential for modern trade.

In manufacturing, machines process beans, but it is leadership that “process” the systems. This is why advanced skills – at the postgraduate level, what we call the ‘invisible infrastructure’ – are indispensable.

PLOT Enterprise’s journey reveals that the true barriers to value creation aren’t just the machines or equipment, they are institutional and human.

We therefore made it a point to invest in training and capacity-building for our employees, thus enhancing their skills and knowledge, creating a stronger talent pool.

For companies like PLOT, innovation comes naturally in how we operate and grow. Our question is simple: How do we create value where others see limits? This has driven our entire strategy, not just in manufacturing, but on the value chain.

Take our by-product innovation strategy as an example. Traditionally, cocoa shells and husks were treated as waste, costly to dispose of and environmentally burdensome. But through strategic partnerships, we have found ways to repurpose these by-products into viable, income-generating solutions:

Cocoa shells are now converted into biomass energy, helping power parts of our operations and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

The cocoa husks are processed into organic bio-fertilizers, yielding sustainable agriculture and rural farm economy inputs.

These are not green concepts alone — they also unveil new value chains in their entirety, facilitating employment in energy, agriculture, and circular economy ventures. In essence, we are building wealth from waste while creating new industries through research and advanced skills.

This kind of forward-looking vision is what powers African agro-industrial companies to shift from survival to competitiveness on the world stage. But intention is not enough to unlock this potential to its maximum, we need an enabling environment that encourages innovation through funding tools, R&D incentives, and avenues for industry, academia, and government partnerships.

Q: If you were advising governments and development partners like the World Bank, what would you say is the economic cost of underinvesting in higher education and advanced skills—and what impact could stronger investment have on job creation and Africa’s industrial and economic transformation?

A: Underinvesting in higher education and advanced skills for Africa’s manufacturing sector carries a heavy economic cost: factories remain underutilized, productivity declines, and countries are forced to import both expertise and higher-value goods. By contrast, stronger investment in research institutions and in applying learning outcomes would raise competitiveness, create skilled jobs, and accelerate Africa’s industrial transformation.

As I reflect on our processes and operations, it is clear that true expertise resides in the scholar’s skill set. To unlock this expertise, sustained support must be provided to allow researchers to apply their knowledge and problem-solving abilities. Such investment is not a cost but a catalyst—transforming human potential into industrial innovation, strengthening local value chains, and reducing reliance on imported expertise. Funding in this area directly translates into measurable gains for industry and long-term economic growth.

Q: What role do universities and PhD-level research play in solving real industry problems in your sector, and how could stronger partnerships between higher education and industry accelerate innovation, strengthen local value chains, and reduce reliance on imported expertise?

A: Because they generate applied knowledge, Universities and PhD-level research are critical for solving real manufacturing problems. Africa’s manufacturing competitiveness depends on turning universities into engines of industrial innovation. PhD-level research provides the deep expertise needed to solve technical challenges, while partnerships ensure that knowledge flows into factories, strengthens local value chains, and reduces reliance on imported solutions. The benefit of training advanced talent, and provision of innovation capacity is something that industry alone cannot sustain.

A clear example of such benefits is when we installed a tempering machine. By combining the expertise of our in-house research graduates with the manufacturers, we were able to completely redesign the system. Because they generate applied knowledge, Universities and PhD-level research are critical for solving real manufacturing problems. Africa’s manufacturing competitiveness depends on turning universities into engines of industrial innovation. PhD-level research provides the deep expertise needed to solve technical challenges, while partnerships ensure that knowledge flows into factories, strengthens local value chains, and reduces reliance on imported solutions. The benefit of training advanced talent, and provision of innovation capacity is something that industry alone cannot sustain.