News in Brief:
– ECOWAS has requested Ghana to repay a 2018 loan of 27,000 tons of maize and rice as it launches a feed programme to boost agricultural output and food security.
– Ghana’s Minister has sought a one-year extension for repayment, expressing confidence that the new initiative will facilitate meeting this obligation.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has formally requested that Ghana repay 27,000 tons of maize and rice that were loaned to the nation in 2018. According to the body, the food assistance was provided to Ghana to help address food security issues at the time.
Ghana’s Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, disclosed the demand during the April 12, 2025, launch of the government’s ‘Feed Ghana Programme.’ He stated that ECOWAS leaders recently met with him to discuss the outstanding food stocks.
The organisation is seeking the return of approximately 27,000 tons of rice and maize that Ghana received as a loan seven years prior.
In response, Mr Opoku announced that he has requested a one-year extension on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama to allow Ghana time to secure the necessary quantities for repayment. This he said, was necessary so a not to jeopardise the country’s current food supply.
Clarification on 2018 ECOWAS support
Based on available information, ECOWAS did provide food aid to Ghana in 2018. Reports indicate that in December 2018, as part of a stock rotation exercise of its Regional Food Security Reserve, ECOWAS supplied Ghana with 2,750 tons of food grains to support the nation’s School Canteen Programme. Other countries included in this gesture were Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Niger.
However, the current demand for 27,000 tons appears to be related to a separate instance where Ghana borrowed a larger quantity of maize and rice in 2018 to address more general food security challenges.
Opoku expressed confidence that the newly initiated Feed Ghana Programme would enable the country to fulfil its repayment obligations within the requested timeframe.
This initiative is a key government initiative focused on modernising agricultural practices, enhancing national food security, and driving economic transformation.
President Mahama stressed the programme’s importance as part of his broader Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA). It aims to generate employment, lower food price inflation, and improve living standards through sustainable agriculture.
