Sankofa: Why Ghana Needs A Modern Operation Feed Yourself, Not A 24-Hour Economy

In a land blessed with fertile soils, a return to structured farming may do more for jobs, food security and health than a costly 24-hour economy ever could. Ghana is, by every measure, an agricultural country. Over 58% of the population depends directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods (Ghana Statistical Service, 2023). Fertile soils stretch from the cocoa belts of the south to the maize and rice plains of the north, yet the nation still spent an estimated $2.7 billion on food imports in 2023 (MoFA, 2024).

Back in the 1970s, facing food shortages and rising imports, Ghana launched Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) under General I. K. Acheampong. OFY rallied citizens, schools, and institutions to farm, reducing imports and boosting local production. According to the Bank of Ghana Annual Report (1974), OFY remains one of the boldest, home-grown solutions Ghana has tried.

Re-launching OFY for Today’s Realities

Today’s youth unemployment stands at about 14.7% (GSS, 2023). Rather than investing over $4 billion in a 24-hour economy as estimated by Dr. Theo Acheampong, Ghana could re-launch a modern OFY designed for the 21st century. A new OFY could do more than just teach young people to plant maize or rice. A properly schemed OFY would:

• Train selected youth in China or locally in the use, maintenance and assembly of handheld power tillers, planters, and small harvesters.
• Develop skills in solar panel manufacturing and installation, so farms and agro-processors can run on cheap, clean energy.
• Equip youth in animal rearing, fish farming, and agro-processing, from dairy to dry foods, spices and even nutraceuticals.
• Include modules on agribusiness, packaging, and marketing, so youth can create brands, not just raw produce

By creating structured training and entrepreneurship pathways, the programme would not only provide jobs but also reduce the pull of drugs and alcohol, as youth see real, dignified livelihoods in agriculture and related industries.

Why the 24-hour Economy Falls Short

The idea of running factories and services round the clock is appealing in theory. But with 85% of Ghanaian businesses classified as small or informal (GSS, 2022), and with high power costs, limited logistics and security challenges, it is a difficult and expensive proposition. As the Institute of Economic Affairs warned in 2023, “Without strong, large-scale industries, a 24-hour economy remains more of a slogan than a strategy.”

Food Security, Health, and National Savings

Better food security translates directly to better national health. WHO data shows that improved diets reduce vulnerability to disease and chronic conditions, lowering the cost of healthcare. Locally grown food also reduces carbon footprints and saves foreign exchange. Countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia have shown how youth-focused, modernized agriculture can tackle unemployment and keep young people engaged and productive (World Bank, 2021).

Pragmatic, Multi-level Steps Worth Considering by Government

1. Develop a clear, time-bound strategic framework: redesign OFY not just as a slogan, but as a structured national programme with clear targets for food self-sufficiency (e.g., maize, rice, soy, poultry), measurable KPIs (production volumes, yield per hectare, youth participation rates), regional customization based on agro-ecological zones, and establish an independent monitoring and evaluation body to track progress.
2. Modernize smallholder and medium-scale farming: subsidize and facilitate access to improved, climate-resilient seeds, fertilizers and bio-fertilizers, mechanization services (e.g., community tractor hiring schemes), and expand irrigation schemes (drawing lessons from Egypt and Morocco) to reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture.
3. Empower youth and women in agriculture: promote agripreneurship through targeted credit lines and start-up grants, training in modern agribusiness (digital farming, hydroponics, etc.), and create incentives for youth-led agritech start-ups to reduce post-harvest losses and boost productivity.
4. Enhance financing and risk management: establish a dedicated National Agricultural Development Bank or strengthen existing agricultural desks in banks to offer low-interest, longer-term loans, and introduce or expand crop and livestock insurance to protect farmers against climate shocks.
5. Invest heavily in storage, processing and market access: build or rehabilitate community warehouses, cold stores and processing facilities to reduce post-harvest losses (which can exceed 30%), develop rural roads and market linkages to connect producers to consumers, both locally and for export.
6. Support local consumption and reduce imports: launch a "Buy Ghana, Eat Ghana" campaign to shift urban consumer preferences toward local staples, and regulate and reduce cheap imports that undercut local farmers, learning from countries like Nigeria’s temporary rice import ban.
7. Leverage technology and data: invest in digital platforms to provide weather forecasts, market prices, extension advice via mobile phones, and create a national farmer database to target subsidies efficiently.
8. Strengthen agricultural research and extension: fund research institutes to develop new seed varieties adapted to climate change, and recruit and train more agricultural extension officers, equipping them with digital tools to support farmers effectively.
9. Promote sustainable and climate-smart practices: encourage agroforestry, conservation agriculture and organic fertilizer production, and integrate renewable energy (e.g., solar-powered irrigation pumps) to reduce farmers’ cost burden.
10. Build public-private partnerships (PPP): partner with agribusinesses, input suppliers, and processors to invest in value chains, and offer tax incentives for private investment in agro-processing and export infrastructure.

Best Practice Lessons

• Brazil --- Fome Zero combined social support, credit, school feeding and local procurement.
• Vietnam --- focused on rice productivity through irrigation and cooperatives, becoming a net exporter.
• Ethiopia --- Agricultural Transformation Agency used data and innovation to target interventions.
• Nigeria --- Anchored Borrowers' Programme linked smallholders with processors and banks.

Why This Matters Now

• Climate change threatens Ghana’s rain-fed farming system.

• Global fertilizer and grain price shocks since the Russia-Ukraine war.

• Youth unemployment demands new, productive rural jobs.

• Ghana’s high food import bill threatens foreign exchange reserves.

Conclusion
Instead of pouring billions into an untested 24-hour economy, Ghana can modernize a proven idea like Operation Feed Yourself and integrate new skills: technology, renewable energy, processing, branding and marketing. As Acheampong once said, “We have land, we have hands; let us feed ourselves.” Today, we can go further, train our youth to feed, power, and brand ourselves --- building an economy that works around the clock because it works for everyone.

I suggest the new OFY should be renamed “SANKOFA”. It is a powerful word, deeply rooted in Akan philosophy and cultural symbolism. Simply, Sankofa means “Go back for it”. The Akan say, “se wo were fi na wosankofa a, yenkyi”. Translated, it means “it is not wrong to go back and pick what you left behind”. Sankofa is unparalleled in emphasizing the importance of drawing lessons from history.

FUSEINI ABDULAI BRAIMAH
+233550558008 / +233208282575
[email protected]

PS: I am encouraged by the phone calls of my followers, and I hope Mr. Editor permits me to say, “I am Honoured!!!”