The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has urged the Ministry of Finance to urgently reconsider its decision to withdraw Ghana from the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP).
The call follows a September 23, 2026 letter from the Ministry of Finance to the World Bank seeking the withdrawal of Ghana from the programme, a decision MoFA says was taken without prior consultation with the sector ministry.
In a letter to the Minister of Finance, MoFA said the withdrawal could have significant implications for existing contractual commitments and ongoing agricultural infrastructure projects under the FSRP.
According to the Ministry, outstanding obligations arising from commitments already made under the programme amount to GH¢643,867,633.36.
Of this amount, GH¢520,257,975.43 relates to the International Development Association (IDA) credit, while GH¢123,609,657.93 relates to the FS2030 Trust Fund.
MoFA warned that withdrawing from the programme would not extinguish the State’s obligations under contracts already entered into.
It said without an alternative funding arrangement, government could be required to meet the payments from other resources, potentially resulting in delays, additional costs or claims if contracts are suspended or terminated.
The Ministry said critical rehabilitation works on irrigation infrastructure at Weta, Vea and Kpong, as well as selected inland valleys, could also be affected.
The World Bank subsequently directed the FSRP Project Implementation Unit on September 24 to immediately pause all activities and procurement financed through the IDA credit and Recipient-Executed Trust Funds.
Under the Norwegian grant, the Bank also directed a halt to the procurement and execution of tomato seed activities, as well as micro-irrigation and related activities.
The FS2030 Trust Fund-funded recruitment of an embedded advisor for the Ministry’s Network Operation Centre for the Feed Ghana Programme, the Feed Ghana Brigade and a data analyst has also been suspended.
Further activities relating to digitisation and farmer registration have been paused, alongside support to the Feed Ghana Secretariat.
MoFA said the directives could delay contracted works and planned procurement, with prolonged suspension potentially resulting in additional costs or claims under existing contracts.
It also warned that the suspension of tomato seed and micro-irrigation support could affect farmers because cultivation depends on seasonal planting windows.
The Ministry said the separate recruitment suspensions could delay capacity development for the Feed Ghana Network Operation Centre, the Feed Ghana Brigade and programme data analysis.
It added that the suspension of digitisation, farmer registration and Secretariat support could delay systems intended to identify beneficiaries, target interventions and monitor programme delivery.
MoFA said the developments have placed the implementation of Feed Ghana, a flagship government programme and a commitment in the National Democratic Congress manifesto, under immediate pressure, with wider implications for Ghana’s agricultural sector.
The Ministry is therefore asking the Finance Ministry to rescind the decision to withdraw from the FSRP and formally retract the notice sent to the World Bank on September 23.
It further wants the Finance Ministry to seek written clearance from the World Bank for the resumption of all affected activities, procurement, recruitment and programme support.
MoFA said the Bank-directed pause should remain in force until such clearance is obtained.
It also called for an urgent reconciliation between the two ministries of all contractual commitments, payments due and activities affected, followed by engagement with the World Bank on an arrangement to protect ongoing works and restore implementation.
On the Pwalugu project, the Ministry said funding should be pursued through an arrangement that does not jeopardise existing FSRP commitments or the agricultural interventions affected by the current suspension.
