By Lawrence Odoom
The Global Media Foundation (GloMeF), a human rights and media advocacy organisation, has urged the government to undertake an immediate review of the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme to ensure Ghana reaps its full transformative potential.
In a statement issued to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, the foundation stressed that while the initiative holds significant promise for revitalising the poultry sector, generating employment, and curbing the nation’s heavy reliance on imported poultry, its current implementation framework risks undermining these gains.
“‘Nkoko Nkitinkiti’ programme held the potential to transform the nation’s poultry sector, create jobs, and reduce the nation’s heavy dependence on imported poultry products,” the statement noted.
However, GloMeF cautioned that the distribution mechanism and operational approach “might limit the overall effectiveness of the ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ programme.”
Launched in 2025, the programme is designed to bolster large-scale household and backyard poultry production nationwide, with a target of distributing approximately three million birds to between 55,000 and 60,000 households.
To date, the government has supplied about 720,000 birds to over 13,000 farmers. The foundation highlighted the urgency of the intervention, noting that “the country spends over $300 million annually on poultry imports, underscoring the importance of the programme.”
“While the programme’s ambition is commendable, its success will depend largely on implementation quality, transparency, and sustained technical support,” the statement indicated.
GloMeF flagged emerging structural weaknesses, warning that “existing gaps in beneficiary targeting, monitoring systems, and post-distribution support could undermine the long-term impact of the initiative and ought to be addressed.”
“The Nkoko Nketenkete is a strong policy idea, but its implementation model must be reviewed to ensure efficiency, fairness, and sustainability,” the foundation stated.
“The number of birds distributed alone is not enough; impact must be measured by productivity and long-term survival of the poultry businesses created,” it added.
To safeguard the programme’s viability, GloMeF called on government to:
- Strengthen beneficiary selection and tracking systems
- Improve veterinary, feed, and technical extension support
- Enhance monitoring and evaluation frameworks
- Reinforce transparency and accountability in bird distribution
- Build stronger linkages across the poultry value chain for long-term sustainability
The foundation concluded that with decisive reforms, “the ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ programme could advance the agricultural sector, drive rural development, youth employment, and national food sufficiency and security.”