Mahama Launches Nkoko Nkitinkiti Poultry Programme Wednesday in Kumasi

President John Dramani Mahama will officially launch the Nkoko Nkitinkiti poultry programme on Wednesday, November 12, in Kumasi, marking the formal rollout of an initiative designed to cut Ghana’s $300 million annual spending on imported chicken.

Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of Government Communications, confirmed the launch event will take place in the Ashanti Regional capital as part of what he described as a significant week for the administration. The announcement comes after months of preparation for the ambitious poultry self-sufficiency project.

The programme involves distributing three million birds to constituencies across Ghana, with Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture John Dumelo revealing that distribution began in mid-November. Each constituency is expected to receive approximately 10,000 birds, which will be shared among about 200 households, with individual beneficiaries getting around 50 birds each.

Ghana currently imports 95 percent of its poultry needs at a cost exceeding $300 million annually. The Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative directly targets this dependency by establishing what President Mahama has previously described as a three-tier production system involving large-scale producers, medium-scale operators, and household entrepreneurs.

The programme aims to benefit 55,000 households nationwide, with government plans to invest in hatcheries, feed mills, processing facilities, and distribution networks. Processing plants will be constructed under the programme to ensure proper processing and storage of chickens produced, with President Mahama expected to break ground in November for a poultry processing centre at Bechem.

The distributed birds will come vaccinated, allowing beneficiaries to immediately begin poultry farming operations. Feed will also be provided to selected participants to ensure successful rearing. The initiative supports producers ranging from smallholders to household farmers.

Mr. Kwakye Ofosu emphasized that Wednesday’s launch begins an eventful week culminating in the presentation of the 2026 National Budget by the Finance Minister on Thursday, November 13. He described the forthcoming budget as one that “brims with far-reaching policy initiatives” expected to address key national priorities and drive economic growth.

President Mahama stated during his State of the Nation Address in February that the initiative would position agriculture as a profitable and appealing sector, making it more attractive to young people. The programme forms part of broader efforts to strengthen connections between agriculture and industry through value addition, processing, and distribution.

Deputy Minister Dumelo explained that the government implemented the programme because it remains unhappy about high chicken import rates and their impact on foreign exchange and local employment. He suggested the initiative could become a turning point for Ghana’s poultry industry by creating jobs for rural youth and women while strengthening domestic feed and processing industries.

The programme operates under the government’s Feed Ghana agenda, which aims to produce sufficient food for domestic consumption and generate surplus for export. Officials have indicated that achieving 100 percent local chicken production within three years remains the ambitious goal.