Ghana to repay ECOWAS rice debt with 50,000 bags of grain

Ghana is settling a long-standing debt to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by releasing 50,000 bags of 50-kilogramme rice. The grains were originally borrowed in 2018 to sustain the national School Feeding Programme during a period of depleted food reserves.

Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku announced the repayment during the maiden Annual General Meeting of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO). He attributed the ability to clear the debt to improved management and stronger procurement of food commodities. Opoku also directed NAFCO suppliers to source commodities directly from local Ghanaian farmers to support domestic markets.

NAFCO reported a significant financial turnaround, recording a net profit before tax of GH¢91.7 million in 2025, reversing a GH¢19.4 million loss from 2024. CEO George Abradu-Otoo noted that the company's gross profit margin increased to 13.96 percent and that it paid GH¢20.3 million in taxes, the highest in its 16-year history.