James Osei Mensah

Faculty Biography

Prof. James Osei Mensah is an Associate Professor of Agribusiness Management at the Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness & Extension of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), an Agribusiness Consultant and an Academic Counsellor. He holds a PhD degree in Agribusiness Management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST). Prof. Osei Mensah had his BSc. education at KNUST where he read Agriculture (specialized in Agricultural Economics and graduated with a First-Class Honours). He proceeded to the Chalmers University of Technology (Gothenburg-Sweden) where he read a two-year MSc. in Management & Economics of Innovation. Osei Mensah was adjudged the Best Academic Student for the Faculty of Agriculture during the 2005/2006 academic year by the Ghana Association of Agricultural Students (GAAS-KNUST). He is an old student of T. I. Ahmadiyya-Kumasi. His basic education started from Bibiani Presby Primary School and D/C ‘A’ Junior Secondary School, Bibiani.Prof. Osei Mensah has over 15 years of teaching and research experience as an agribusiness management expert with over sixty (60) peer-reviewed publications and conference papers to his credit. He teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as Principles of Agribusiness Management, Management and Entrepreneurial Skills, Research Methods for Agribusiness, Business Communication and Customer Relations, Agribusiness Management and Value Chain Analysis, and Agribusiness Planning and Management and has supervised several undergraduate and postgraduate students. His professional life as a University Lecturer started from the level of an Assistant Lecturer and has since risen through the ranks to his current position as an Associate Professor and the Hall Master of KNUST Owned Hostels (KOHs). He also served as the Departmental Examinations Officer, Examinations Officer for the Faculty of Agriculture-KNUST, Assistant College Examinations of College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College Examinations Officer of College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Coordinator for MSc. Agribusiness Management-KNUST. He is a fellow of the STINT Scholarship for Academic Excellence, a DANIDA Fellow and a member of Ghana Association of Agricultural Economists. Professor Osei Mensah is also a founding member of Ghana Society of Agribusiness Scientists (GSAS). He has consulted for several reputable national and international organizations including the World Bank, World Food Programme (Ghana Office), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), ACDI/VOCA, Concern Universal (Ghana), Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA-Ghana), Animal Welfare League and Eni-Ghana. He was a member of the team that was tasked by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to select the Best National Farmer for 2017.Prof. James Osei Mensah has participated and presented in several national and international workshops such as 2nd stakeholder consultation on the establishment of the Ghana Innovation and Research Commercialization Center (GIRC-CENTER) organized by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana; benchmarking seminar on competitiveness in the Ghanaian Poultry Industry organized by the Ghana Poultry Project (GPP); M & E technical workshop for the Enhanced Nutrition and Value Chains in Ghana (ENVAC): organized by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) – Ghana Country Office; end of P4P project consultation workshop organized by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP); Agricultural Value Chain Facility (AVCF) project stakeholder forum organized by the Northern Sector Agriculture Investment Coordination Unit (NSAICU) in collaboration with AGRA; The HACCP System and Other Related Food Safety Issues organized by the Ghana Street Foods Project of the College of Agricultural and Natural Resources of KNUST; and P4P West African validation workshop organized by the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC).He has served on the Board of several institutions such as Yedent Center of Practical Entrepreneurship, Bethelinter Academy-Kumasi, McHan Cosmetics Limited, BunnyBites Ghana Limited, Agro Mindset Group and Lighthouse Preparatory and Junior High Schools-Kumasi. He has also served as a member of a team responsible for selecting KNUST’s representative for the 2020 Presidential Pitch, 2018 TRATECH Business and TEK Challenge and was also a panel member for evaluation of entrepreneurial ideas by MasterCard Scholars of KNUST. In addition, he has facilitated several educational, capacity building and entrepreneurial programmes. Prof. Osei Mensah is the Faculty Advisor of Kosmos Innovation Center's (KIC) AgriTech Challenge, KNUST and the Patron of Young Agribusiness Forum (YAF-KNUST).