President John Dramani Mahama has pledged the government’s full commitment to revitalising Ghana’s poultry industry, with an ambitious goal of achieving self-sufficiency in chicken production within the next three years.
The President made the declaration last Friday during a working visit to the National Service Scheme (NSS) Poultry Farm at Haatso, Accra, where he expressed profound admiration for the operation, saying, “What is happening here is very impressive.”
President Mahama projected that with a concerted and sustained effort from all stakeholders, Ghana could become self-reliant in chicken production within three years.
Although it was raining, the President toured the facility, moving from pen to pen to assess the condition of the birds, the extent of work done, and the technology being used to ensure their successful growth.
Major boost
In a major boost for farmers, President Mahama outlined a broad-based support scheme categorised by scale and announced the launch of a new initiative, dubbed " Nkokɔ Nketekete", next month.
He said large-scale farmers would be supported with day-old chicks, while medium-scale and household poultry farmers would also receive targeted assistance to increase production.
While full details were reserved for the launch, the programme is expected to be a comprehensive national drive to empower local farmers and stimulate widespread participation in the sector.
The ultimate goal, the President said, was to halt the massive importation of poultry products and retain millions of dollars within the economy.
“We want to eat home-grown Ghanaian chickens,” President Mahama declared to applause, capturing the core objective of the new push to ensure that the chicken on the plates of Ghanaians is proudly sourced from local farms.
The government’s renewed focus on the poultry industry is expected to be a significant pillar of its agricultural transformation agenda, aiming to create jobs, reduce the nation's import bill, and enhance food security.
In attendance were the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku; the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo; the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome Kwabenya, Faustina Elikplim Akurugu, and members of the board of the National Service Authority.
Centre of excellence
President Mahama said the government would elevate the facility into a centre of excellence.
"The little briefing I have shows that what is happening here is very impressive, and so I want to take the opportunity to congratulate the Minister and the staff of National Service on the very good work you've done," he said.
To underscore the administration's seriousness, the President revealed that he would direct the Finance Minister to visit the farm to assess its operations and needs firsthand.
"I promise to help you to develop this poultry farm into a centre of excellence. It will be both a producing farm and a training farm, as well as a research farm," he stated.
Expansion
The acting Director-General of the NSA, Ruth Dela Seddoh, provided an overview of the NSA’s strategic involvement in agriculture, particularly through the Papao Farm.
She said originally established in the 1990s by Peter G. Kpordugbe as a demonstration farm, the facility had a capacity of 2,500 birds.
She said since January 2025, the capacity had been expanded to over 100,000 birds, with 70,000 currently in stock-- made up of 50,000 broilers and 20,000 layers.
Ms Seddoh addressed the rationale behind NSA’s engagement in agriculture, which was premised on its mission to empower the youth through practical skills and contribute to the national "Feed Ghana Agenda" via the Nkokɔ Nketekete project.
"People have wondered why the authority is into agriculture.
The National Service Authority carries a sacred mandate: to harness the energy, intellect and passion of our nation's youth in service to our Motherland," she said.
"More importantly, it is to bring into reality your vision of the Feed Ghana Agenda through the Nkokɔ Nketekete project.
It is in the spirit of this profound duty that we have embraced our role as the lead agency for the visionary Feed Ghana Project," Ms Seddoh stated.
Appeal
The acting Director-General of the NSA also appealed to the President for immediate support to enhance the authority's agricultural capacity through the construction of a state-of-the-art processing facility to include a cold room, processing house, and store room.
