At a press briefing in Accra yes­terday, the Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy and Accel­erated Export Development Pro­gramme, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, described the summit as timely in addressing challenges undermining Ghana’s food security.

He expressed concern over Ghana’s over $3 billion annual food import bill, despite vast agri­cultural potential.

“We import $600 million worth of rice and $400 million in poultry products annually, items we can produce locally.

We also lose over 30 per cent of our harvests to post-harvest waste, while only five per cent of arable land benefits from irrigation,” he revealed.

Mr Tanoh said the government’s “GROW 24” initiative under the 24-Hour policy was thus designed to transform Ghana’s food sys­tems.

Flagship projects such as the “Eden Volta Breadbasket” and the “Shikpon Urban Farming Revolution”, he stated, aim to make the Volta Basin a major food hub in West Africa while using greenhouse technology and climate-smart practices to ensure year-round production.

“GROW 24 directly aligns with the UN Global Compact principles and the SDGs, and we hope to cut food imports by 50 per cent, sav­ing $1.5 billion annually,” he added.

He further pledged govern­ment’s commitment to improve policy coordination, attract invest­ment through innovative financ­ing, enhance transparency, and empower women and youth along the agricultural value chain.

The Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Ghana, Tolu Kweku Lacroix, outlined four focus areas of the summit: policy reforms and regulatory frameworks, innovative financing models, science, technology, and digital tools, and nutrition-sensitive solutions.

He asserted that one of the summit’s key outcomes would be a roadmap on Ghana’s food systems, identifying policy and investment priorities, and serving as a living accountability document for all stakeholders.

Mr Lacroix called for collective action to build a resilient food sys­tem that secures Ghana’s economic future, safeguards the environ­ment, and guarantees nutrition for all.

For her part, the Principal Planning Analyst at the National Development Planning Commis­sion (NDPC), Lila-Karen Ampon­sah, said the summit provided an opportunity to consolidate actions for an improved food system.

“The NDPC reaffirms its role in providing leadership for planning, coordination, and accountability.

Yet, success will depend on our collaborative spirit to turn this shared vision into concrete actions that secure nutrition, protect the environment, and drive inclusive growth,” she indicated.

which MMDAs would be required to progressively shorten the timeframe for the removal of the nuisances.

Moreover, he asserted that MMDAs must prioritise among other things, the desilting of drains, removal of waste heaps, regular cleansing of ceremoni­al routes, markets, lorry parks, schools, public spaces, and the mobilisation and deployment of officials, including environmental health officers to ensure the sus­tainability of the initiative.

Mr Ibrahim opined that his Ministry would introduce account­ability measures, including the es­tablishment of a dedicated hotline for reporting, a central dashboard to track reports, responses, and performance of MMDAs, and the submission of a monthly report by MMDAs.

He called on government officials, including Members of Parliament, as well as the media, to use their influence to promote the initiative to help improve the sanitation and waste management systems in the country.