President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has launched the Aquaculture for Food and Jobs Programme, showing the government’s commitment to sustainable development, food security, and job creation. This initiative launched in Nsuaem, in the Central Region, aims to use Ghana’s water resources to provide sustainable livelihoods and improve nutrition.
President Akufo-Addo highlighted aquaculture’s role in the global food system, noting it supplies nearly half of the world’s fish. In Ghana, fish is essential to the diet, but local production falls short, leading to costly imports. In 2022, Ghana required 1.31 million metric tonnes of fish but produced only 657,000 tonnes, necessitating 650,000 tonnes of imports at US$311 million.
The programme will help to increase local fish production, reduce imports, conserve foreign exchange, and ensure fresh, local fish supply. It will also create thousands of jobs, particularly for youth and women, by providing training and resources for fish farming. The initiative will establish fish farms nationwide, boosting related industries like fish feed production and processing, and improving public health by making fish more accessible.
In partnership with R&B Farms Ltd., Ghana’s largest inland fish farm, the government plans to train 10,000 youth in fish farming, potentially creating 50,000 additional jobs in the aquaculture value chain. President Akufo-Addo urged private investors to seize the opportunities in this growing market, with research institutions and universities providing necessary knowledge and innovations.
Commending Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson’s efforts, President Akufo-Addo noted her role in initiatives like the annual close season for fishing, which has helped restore fish stocks. Under the programme, youth will receive training and seed capital, including tarpaulin cages, fingerlings, and fish feed, to start fish farming businesses within six months.
President Akufo-Addo urged all Ghanaians to support this initiative for a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous nation.
