The Ghanaian government has instructed the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to release 50,000 bags of grains to settle the country's outstanding obligation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This directive was issued by President John Dramani Mahama and announced by Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku. The obligation arose from a 2018 grain borrowing arrangement to support the School Feeding Programme.
According to Mr. Opoku, NAFCO currently has 20,433 metric tonnes of grains in storage, which is sufficient to support the repayment. He made this statement at the Annual General Meeting of NAFCO. The Minister expressed satisfaction with the company's current state, citing improved domestic agricultural production under the Feed Ghana Programme. This programme has contributed to Ghana producing 4.6 million tonnes of maize in 2025, against an estimated national demand of 3.6 million tonnes.
The improved agricultural production has resulted in a surplus of one million tonnes of maize. Mr. Opoku attributed this success to the Feed Ghana Programme. He also reported an improvement in NAFCO's financial performance, with the company moving from a net loss of 19 billion cedis in 2024 to a net profit of 91.7 billion cedis before tax in 2025.
NAFCO's financial improvement is also reflected in its gross profit margin, which increased from 1.61 per cent in 2024 to 13.96 per cent in 2025. The company's qualitative account submitted to the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) reported this progress. Mr. Opoku credited the improvement to enhanced management and efforts to sustain operations.
In an interview, NAFCO's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), George Abradu-Otoo, explained that the company has strengthened its auditing, procurement, and food safety functions. He noted that prior to his assumption of office, there was no audit department, and employees had significant autonomy. The CEO emphasized that the company has controlled expenditure, ensuring that costs are justified by value.
Under Mr. Abradu-Otoo's leadership, NAFCO is working to establish a warehouse for food storage in every district in Ghana. He highlighted the importance of this initiative in enhancing the company's operations and supporting the country's food security. The CEO's efforts aim to build on the progress made under the Feed Ghana Programme.
The release of 50,000 bags of grain to ECOWAS is expected to settle Ghana's outstanding obligation. Key points include: - The government has directed NAFCO to release 50,000 bags of grains to ECOWAS. - Ghana's improved agricultural production has resulted in a surplus of one million tonnes of maize. - NAFCO has shown significant financial improvement, moving from a net loss to a net profit.
Key points
- The government has directed the release of 50,000 bags of grain to settle Ghana's ECOWAS obligation.
- Ghana's agricultural production has improved, resulting in a maize surplus.
- NAFCO has demonstrated significant financial improvement under enhanced management.
