‘Nkoko Nkitinkiti risks becoming Flying Akomfem Version 2’ - Franklin Cudjoe

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has warned that the government's 'Nkoko Nkitinkiti' programme could suffer the same fate as previous flagship agricultural initiatives if adequate processing and cold-chain facilities are not developed in the country.

In a post shared on his X page on July 22, 2026, he argued that Ghana's poultry sector requires more than increasing production.

According to him the investments in the sector must focus on processing, storage and distribution.

Cudjoe questioned whether the GH¢250 million allocation for the programme was supported by a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis.

“Nkoko Nkitinkiti risks becoming 'Flying Akomfem Version 2. Ghana imports over 80% of its poultry at a cost of $300 million annually. The government’s new Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme has been distributing projected 3 million birds nationwide since October 2025.

"I have not read or seen any impact analysis justifying the spending of GHc 250 million on this policy with additional $20m likely to be approved for the programme,” he wrote.

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Cudjoe also alleged that some initiatives in the past aimed at supporting the poultry sector failed to achieve their intended objectives because some companies imported chicken and repackaged it as locally produced.

"Sadly, when funds are given to existing big poultry companies, they often import chicken and repackage it as locally produced. For instance, a well-known company received GHS 20 million under 1D-1F to expand operations but reportedly used the funds to import and re-brand foreign chicken as Ghanaian", Cudjoe stated.

He noted that producing millions of birds without the corresponding processing plants and storage facilities and logistics could destabilise the market and leave farmers struggling to find buyers.

"Why distributing millions of birds without processing plants will destabilize prices and create waste.

"Farmers’ concern: “When the birds mature, where do we take them? How processing and cold storage can stabilize markets, ensure quality, and create jobs", he said.

He said Imani previously cautioned that the success of the programme depended on creating a complete poultry ecosystem.

“IMANI warned last year, that unless production is matched with processing and cold-chain infrastructure, the programme risks collapse,” he added.

The Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme was introduced by the government to support agricultural transformation, food sovereignty and shared prosperity.

It is expected to reduce Ghana’s reliance on imported frozen chicken by boosting local production.

It targets the production of three million birds and is expected to benefit about 55,000 households.

The government has also indicated that the initiative will increase demand for local poultry feed and establish direct market links between producers and processors.

See his post below:

Nkoko Nkitinkiti risks becoming 'Flying Akomfem Version 2. - Franklin Cudjoe

1. Ghana imports over 80% of its poultry at a cost of $300 million annually. The government’s new Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme has been distributing projected 3 million birds nationwide since October…

— Franklin CUDJOE (@lordcudjoe) July 22, 2026

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