The Global Media Foundation (GloMeF), a human rights and media advocacy organisation, has called for an urgent review of the implementation of the government’s Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme to enable the nation to derive the optimum benefits.
In a statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, the foundation said the ‘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.
However, the statement signed by Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GloMeF, said that distribution of the chicks and implementation approach might limit the overall effectiveness of the ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ programme.
The government launched the programme in 2025, designed to support large-scale household and backyard poultry production across the country, targeting the distribution of about three million birds to between 55,000 and 60,000 households in the country.
It noted that statistics showed that so far, the government had about 720,000 birds to over 13,000 farmers, saying 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.
It said emerging challenges like the 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 number of birds distributed alone is not enough; impact must be measured by productivity and long-term survival of the poultry businesses created”, it stated.
It therefore called on the government to strengthen the selection of beneficiaries and tracking systems, improve veterinary, feed, and technical extension support, as well as enhance the monitoring and evaluation framework.
The government must also take measures to strengthen transparency and accountability in the distribution of the birds and build stronger poultry value chain linkages for sustainability.
It noted that with the right reforms, the ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ programme could advance the agricultural sector, drive rural development, youth employment, and national food sufficiency and security.
Source: GNA
