Government to roll out Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme in October – Agriculture Minister

The government will roll out the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme in October.

The initiative, aimed at reducing poultry imports and boosting local production, is now set for launch in the first week of next month after an earlier postponement in July.

According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme is a major step toward cutting Ghana’s dependence on imported poultry, which costs the country over $300 million annually. Stakeholders in the poultry sector had raised concerns about inadequate consultation, prompting the government to push back the original date to ensure broader engagement.

Speaking to the media in Accra after the launch of the second phase of the West Africa Livestock Marketing Programme (PACBAO) organized by the ECOWAS Commission, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, confirmed the revised timeline for the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme. “Plans are at an advanced stage, and it is expected that by the first week of October, His Excellency the President will officially launch the programme,” he said.

The Minister assured poultry farmers and stakeholders that all necessary preparations are nearly complete. “The media will be invited, after which distribution will begin across various constituencies to reach beneficiary farmers. We are finalizing the beneficiary list and completing procurement processes with contractors to supply the birds. Very soon, implementation will take off,” Eric Opoku stated.

The Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme is expected to benefit no fewer than 55,000 households nationwide. It is also designed to create significant job opportunities for the youth, while at the same time addressing the pressing issue of food security. “This project is not just about poultry farming,” the Minister emphasized. “It is about creating sustainable jobs, empowering rural households, and retaining millions of dollars that currently leave our economy through imports.”

In addition to the jobs and household benefits, the programme is projected to save the country more than \$300 million each year in poultry import costs. With implementation expected to begin shortly after the official launch, the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme is being positioned as a long-term intervention to make Ghana self-sufficient in poultry production while boosting livelihoods across the agricultural value chain.