Ghana News
It’s More Than a Meal: How School Feeding Programs Are Boosting Ghana’s Economy
On harmattan mornings in this dusty community, the fine dust settles on classroom desks and dry wind brushes against the faces of children walking barefoot to school.
For young Abdul-Wahab Mohammed, those mornings often began with an empty stomach. His father’s two-acre farm could not sustain their family of 24 year-round, and breakfast was a luxury during lean seasons.
What kept him in school was the promise of a meal—rice and gravy stew, peanut soup, or beans with gari (the local dish known as “Gobe”)—served by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). That meal, he says, “wasn’t just food. It was relief. It was energy. It was dignity.”
Today, Mohammed has returned to those same communities as a WFP communications officer, wearing the organization’s vest and documenting the stories of children whose paths mirror his own. His journey from hungry schoolboy to humanitarian professional embodies a transformation that Ghana is now scaling nationwide: school feeding programs that do far more than fill empty stomachs.
The Economic Multiplier Effect
School feeding in Ghana has evolved into a sophisticated economic development tool that connects classrooms to farms, markets, and livelihoods. The program currently reaches approximately 3 million pupils across the country, including 60,000 in the northern regions where Mohammed grew up. With a GH¢1.98 billion allocation in the 2026 national budget, the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) represents one of the government’s largest investments in both education and local economic development.
The economic logic is straightforward: when schools purchase food locally, they create predictable demand that stabilizes agricultural markets. In February 2026, President Mahama reinforced this connection through a directive requiring all public schools—from basic to tertiary—to purchase only Ghanaian-produced rice, maize, chicken, and eggs. The “Buy Ghana, Eat Ghana” policy tasks five agencies, including the Ministry of Education, the School Feeding Programme, and the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFBC) with ensuring compliance.
For farmers like those in the Bolgatanga, Bawku and Navrongo (BBN) Farmers’ Cooperative Union in the Upper East Region, this guaranteed market has been transformative. Priscilla Aberinga Alemiya, General Manager of BBN Cooperative, explains that WFP’s intervention came at a critical time when falling rice prices threatened the cooperative’s survival. “If not for the WFP project, the cooperative might have folded,” she says. Instead, with access to stable school markets and $80,000 in rice fortification equipment from WFP, the cooperative increased production capacity from 315 tonnes to 485 tonnes, earned approximately GH¢400,000 in profit, and sustained jobs for its 1,256 members.
Women: The Hidden Workforce Powering School Feeding
Behind every school meal is a network of women who rise before dawn to light fires, fetch water, wash ingredients, and prepare food in large pots under simple wooden sheds. These caterers—predominantly female—manage the entire supply chain, from purchasing food at local markets to transporting and serving meals, often for several hundred children daily .
For women like Stella Nyaaba, leader of the Bongo Lelingo Asongtaaba Parboilers Group, the school feeding program has lifted a heavy burden. “Unlike before, when we struggled on market days and were burdened with transportation costs just to sell one bag of parboiled rice, WFP has lifted that burden,” she says. “Even if we have 20 or 30 bags, BBN buys everything at once and pays us in bulk, enabling us to save and support our families” .
The government is investing in these women’s success. In February 2026, the GSFP launched nationwide capacity-building training for caterers, emphasizing adherence to approved menus and the use of locally sourced ingredients. During an inspection of caterer training in East Gonja, Salaga South MP Hajia Ibrahimah Mohammed commended the initiative as “timely and strategic,” noting that compliance with nutritional guidelines is crucial for enhancing children’s health and academic performance.
Yet challenges remain. A recent study by French research institute IRD and the University of Ghana reveals that many caterers operate without stable incomes or formal recognition. Government payments are often months late, forcing women to advance their own money, go into debt with suppliers, or take on second jobs to continue feeding students. When funds are delayed too long, portions shrink and meals lose nutritional diversity. Addressing these payment delays could unlock even greater economic impact from this predominantly female workforce.
Innovation: Fortified Rice and Local Value Chains
Ghana is also pioneering nutritional innovations that strengthen local agriculture. WFP, with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), has introduced fortified rice into school feeding programs across six regions—Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Ashanti, Oti, and Greater Accra. The initiative enriches rice with essential vitamins and minerals during milling, addressing micronutrient deficiencies in a country where 2.4 million children are malnourished.
The program targets 157,510 students across 365 basic schools and 35 senior high schools. Early results are promising: participating private schools have seen a 7.9 percent increase in enrolment, suggesting that quality meals attract and retain students.
To ensure sustainability, WFP has invested in local production capacity, delivering four rice fortification machines worth over $80,000 to millers in the Upper East, Ashanti, Greater Accra, and North-East regions. In 2025, BBN Cooperative and Ko Franco Farms supplied 170 tonnes of fortified rice and 61.7 tonnes of parboiled unpolished rice to nine senior high schools.
Franco Obour, CEO of Ko Franco Farms, notes that his company was one of only three selected for the program nationwide.
“This initiative promotes the use of locally produced rice rather than imports,” he says. His farm has already supplied its first 45 tonnes of fortified rice, with NAFBC purchasing for senior high schools.
At Ejisu Secondary Technical School in the Ashanti Region, Headmistress Grace Asomani has witnessed the nutritional benefits firsthand.
“Fortified rice contains added nutrients unlike the ordinary polished white rice we are used to,” she explains. “If we continue feeding students with fortified rice, malnutrition will eventually be a thing of the past.”
Community-Level Innovation
Beyond national programs, local leaders are creating innovative supply solutions. Central Regional Minister Ekow Okyere Panyin Eduamoah has cultivated 100 acres of farmland to supply fresh produce directly to schools, part of President Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy Market policy. The farm grows crops designed to enhance nutritional value while making it easier for caterers to access fresh, quality food at affordable prices.
Regional GSFP Coordinator Janet Quansah says the initiative will ease the financial burden on caterers who struggle with high food costs while boosting local food production and strengthening national food security.
Evidence-Based Policy
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) is pushing for even more targeted approaches. In recommendations accompanying its latest Quarterly Food Insecurity Report, the GSS urges the government to “target high-burden regions with tailored food security, agriculture, and market-access solutions instead of one-size-fits-all approaches.” The report calls for expanding nutrition-sensitive social protection, prioritizing female-headed households, and linking food security to jobs and livelihoods through skills development and rural income diversification.
At the sub-national level, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are encouraged to use food insecurity and labor data to identify vulnerable communities and align development plans accordingly.
A Personal Lens, A National Vision
For Mohammed, now documenting the stories of children receiving the same meals that sustained him, the transformation is deeply personal. On a recent visit to a northern school, he paused to watch rows of children seated patiently, bowls in hand, eyes bright with anticipation. The aroma from cooking pots filled the air—just as it did when he was a boy.
“In those kitchens, you see strength. In those farms, you see resilience. In those classrooms, you see possibility,” he reflects. “School feeding is not charity. It is an investment. It is strategy. It is transformation woven across students, farmers, and women”.
As International School Meals Day approaches, that transformation offers a model for global audiences: when school feeding programs are designed as economic development tools—connecting farmers to markets, employing women as entrepreneurs, and nourishing future leaders—they feed nations, one meal at a time.
This story was developed from a first-person account by Abdul-Wahab Mohammed, Ghana Communications Officer for the World Food Programme, with additional reporting on Ghana’s school feeding initiatives and agricultural policies.
In a powerful demonstration of local ownership, Ghanaian research institutions and pharmaceutical manufacturers are contributing an additional €425,000 of their own money to implement innovative health projects, signaling a robust commitment to advancing homegrown medical solutions beyond relying on foreign aid alone.
The co-funding is part of a €2 million grant package awarded under the PharmaVax Ghana program, backed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU).
The initiative is designed to bridge the critical gap between scientific discovery and industrial-scale manufacturing within Ghana.
While the grants provide vital financial fuel, the local co-investment—which ranges from €10,000 to €150,000 across the eight winning projects—represents a crucial “skin in the game” approach.
It shows that local institutions are not merely passive recipients of aid, but active stakeholders willing to risk their own capital to bring products to the market. This practical commitment underscores the sustainability of the projects, ensuring they are not abandoned once international funding cycles end.
The projects span a wide range of medical priorities, including fast-dissolving oral tablets for child-friendly malaria treatment, AI-powered diagnostic tools for Mpox and malaria, standardized herbal treatments for hypertension and liver disease, and stability data for locally produced tetanus-diphtheria vaccines.
Highlighting the importance of this local participation, Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), emphasized that the funds are meant to catalyze local capabilities.
“Ghana has the scientific talent, the research institutions and an increasingly capable pharmaceutical industry to develop health solutions that respond to our own priorities,” he stated. “By bringing these strengths together, we are creating the foundation for medicines and vaccines that are developed in Ghana, manufactured in Ghana, and have the potential to benefit the wider region.”
Ghana’s Minister of Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, echoed this sentiment, noting that the initiative marks a journey where researchers and manufacturers collaborate to transform scientific discoveries into life-saving products.
The €425,000 in local contributions—combined with the €2 million in grants and technical assistance from the EU and Germany—positions Ghana as a rising hub for pharmaceutical industrialization in West Africa, moving the nation closer to health security and economic self-reliance.
Ghana News
From Default to Discipline: How Ghana is Legally Binding Itself to Prevent the Next Debt Crisis
Fresh off a landmark agreement with Belgium that eases its debt burden, Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has unveiled a sweeping package of legal and institutional reforms designed to permanently prevent the country from sliding back into the fiscal chaos that triggered its 2022 sovereign default.
The deal with Belgium to restructure €163 million in debt owed to the country’s Export Credit Agency marks a pivotal step towards completing Ghana’s broader debt restructuring program. Crucially, the agreement frees up much-needed “fiscal space” by slashing the amount of national revenue consumed by debt servicing. Minister Forson revealed that Ghana’s debt-service burden has fallen drastically from a crippling peak of roughly 50% to 55% of national revenue to less than 20% today—a shift that directly impacts the government’s ability to fund schools, hospitals, and roads.
However, the most significant aspect of Ghana’s strategy is its attempt to codify fiscal prudence into law, ensuring that the discipline learned from the crisis is not lost by future administrations.
A Three-Pronged Strategy for Fiscal Discipline
1. The Commitment Authorization Regime
At the core of the immediate controls is a strict mandate for all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Under the amended Public Financial Management Act, no government institution can initiate a contract for goods, services, or works without first securing commitment authorization from the Finance Minister . This process, integrated with the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), acts as a “roadblock” to prevent overspending and the accumulation of hidden arrears—a practice that historically poisoned the country’s finances.
2. Binding Fiscal Rules in Law
Beyond day-to-day controls, the government has instituted statutory targets to ensure long-term solvency. The Public Financial Management Act has been amended to require a minimum annual primary surplus of 1.5% of GDP and to cap the national debt-to-GDP ratio at 45% by 2034 . These are not policy recommendations but binding legal requirements, with the Finance Minister potentially facing censure for breaching these targets.
3. Independent Oversight Institutions
To guarantee that fiscal responsibility is maintained even after Ghana concludes its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the government has established two powerful oversight bodies:
- The Value for Money Office: Parliament passed the Value-for-Money Office Bill in March 2026, creating an independent body to scrutinize major public expenditure. This office will combat inflated contracts, cost overruns, and abandoned projects by issuing mandatory “Value for Money Certificates” before major contracts are awarded.
- The Independent Fiscal Council: The government is establishing a council composed of locally appointed experts to provide advisory support on financial controls and fiscal decision-making . This council, scheduled to take effect after the IMF programme ends, aims to strengthen domestic oversight and accountability, ensuring that Ghana owns its fiscal destiny.
From Recovery to Sustainability
Finance Minister Ato Forson is clear about the goal: “We want to ensure that the fiscal rules that we have instituted today are enshrined in law, so that even if this government is not there, the next government will have to make sure that these fiscal rules are respected” .
The Belgium agreement is the immediate piece of good news that provides tangible relief—allowing Ghana to redirect more resources towards essential public services. But the real measure of Ghana’s recovery will be its ability to enforce these new legal shackles.
By moving from crisis management to institutionalized discipline, Ghana is attempting to break the cycle of over-borrowing, arrears, and economic collapse that has plagued the nation for decades.
In a significant boost to Africa’s push for pharmaceutical self-reliance, the European Union (EU) and Germany have injected €2 million into Ghana to bridge the critical gap between laboratory research and industrial-scale manufacturing.
The funding, awarded under the PharmaVax Ghana programme, has been distributed to eight groundbreaking research partnerships aimed at developing and manufacturing medicines and vaccines locally, drastically reducing the continent’s historical reliance on imported drugs.
The announcement came during the “Research Meets Manufacturing” Award Ceremony in Accra on August 19, co-hosted by Ghana’s National Vaccine Institute (NVI) and the German development agency GIZ.
The grants are jointly funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU) as part of the broader Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies in Africa (MAV+).
This strategic geopolitical and economic move underscores Western Europe’s commitment to backing local African manufacturing ecosystems, countering the long-standing structural imbalance where Africa imports over 90% of its pharmaceuticals.
“A ceremony marks the beginning of an important journey—a journey that brings researchers, manufacturers, government and international partners together to transform scientific discoveries into medicines and vaccines that save and improve lives,” said Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Ghana’s Minister of Health, during the event.
Innovation Across the Health Spectrum
The eight winning projects, selected from 43 competitive proposals by an independent committee of nine Ghanaian experts, represent the breadth of the nation’s scientific talent. They include:
- AI-driven monoclonal antibodies and diagnostics for Mpox and malaria, using a Ghanaian artificial intelligence platform.
- Fast-dissolving oral tablets for the treatment of malaria in children, addressing critical issues of accurate dosing.
- Clinical trials for locally developed herbal treatments for prostate health, hypertension, and alcohol-related liver disease.
- Stability data generation to support regulatory approval of locally produced tetanus-diphtheria vaccines, snake venom antiserum, and pain management therapies.
A Foundation for Health Sovereignty
Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute, emphasized that the grants go far beyond financial aid.
“Ghana has the scientific talent, the research institutions and an increasingly capable pharmaceutical industry to develop health solutions that respond to our own priorities,” Dr. Sodzi-Tettey stated. “By bringing these strengths together, we are creating the foundation for medicines and vaccines that are developed in Ghana, manufactured in Ghana, and have the potential to benefit the wider region.”
Notably, Ghanaian partners are contributing an additional €425,000 towards implementing their projects, demonstrating a strong local commitment to advancing homegrown innovation. Alongside the direct funding, the projects will also receive technical assistance, networking opportunities, and knowledge exchange to ensure long-term commercial viability.
As the global health community increasingly looks to localized manufacturing to secure supply chains, this €2 million initiative serves as a pivotal case study.
It represents a concrete, actionable blueprint for how international development capital can ignite the “Made in Africa” pharmaceutical industrial wave, securing the continent’s health security and driving economic development from within.
Ghanaian Firms Inject €425,000 of Own Funds to Ignite ‘Made in Ghana’ Health Innovation
From Default to Discipline: How Ghana is Legally Binding Itself to Prevent the Next Debt Crisis
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