By Gifty Boateng
Charles Nii Armah Mensah, better known as Shatta Wale, has thrown his weight and his wallet behind the government’s embattled poultry initiative, handing President John Dramani Mahama a publicity coup his ‘Nkonko Nketenkete’ programme badly needed.
The dancehall star, who commands arguably the largest fan base in the country, paid a courtesy call on Gomoa Central MP Kwame Asare Obeng ‘A Plus’ to his fans at the constituency’s special economic zone headquarters, housed for now at Accra’s Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel. His message: he is officially in for poultry and meat processing.
“Nkoko Nketenkete by H.E. John Dramani Mahama is true inspiration,” Shatta Wale posted. “This is how policy should empower creatives to step into agribusiness, create jobs, and build Ghana. From music to enterprise, we’re building real impact.”
A Plus, himself a creative turned politician and a self-confessed Shatta Movement loyalist, was quick to milk the moment. “This is exactly how policy should work,” he said. “Inspiring private citizens and creatives to invest, create jobs, and strengthen food security.”
The endorsement marks a sharp reversal of fortune for an initiative initially mocked by the opposition New Patriotic Party as electoral gimmickry. But with nearly three million birds slated for distribution across 275 constituencies and a target to push poultry self-sufficiency from 12% to 75% by 2028, Mahama’s team is betting that scale and celebrity buy-in will silence the sceptics.
Shatta Wale is not the first entertainer to eye the hen coop. Kwaw Kese signalled interest last October, telling Daybreak Hitz he was ready to jump into “nkokor nketenkete” after struggling to survive on music alone. He already farms maize and cassava.
The government’s ambition is audacious: 18 million birds this year alone, according to National Coordinator Kelvi Ocran. Major producers Aglow Farms, Darko Farms and Spotless Farms are on board, alongside some 2,000 outgrowers. Households enrolled in the scheme receive 50 vaccinated birds and starter feed. The aim is to wean Ghana off its hefty chicken import bill within three years.
Whether celebrity endorsements translate into sustainable egg production remains an open question. But for a government keen to project traction in its agricultural offensive, having a self-styled dancehall king crow about layers and broilers is a win A Plus and his colleagues will deploy liberally.
The NPP, caught between mocking the policy and watching it attract unlikely converts, has yet to respond. Shatta Wale, characteristically, has already moved on.