Government allocates GH¢1.98bn to school feeding programme in 2026 — Gender Minister

The government has allocated GH¢1,982,902,513 to the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) for 2026, with the increased funding allowing the initiative to extend its coverage to more than 4.5 million pupils nationwide.

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, disclosed that 4,527,636 pupils are currently receiving meals under the programme each school day.

She made the disclosure on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, during a Government Accountability Series, where she outlined some of the major programmes and interventions being implemented by her ministry.

Dr Lartey described the Ghana School Feeding Programme as one of the ministry’s most prominent interventions because of its direct impact on schoolchildren across the country.

“The Ghana School Feeding Programme remains one of the most visible ways this ministry touches the lives of Ghana’s schoolchildren every single school day. In 2024, the government allocated GH¢1,393,659,200 to the programme, feeding 4,029,580 pupils at a grant of GH¢1.50 per meal.

“In 2025, however, the government of His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, raised the grant to GH¢2.00 per meal, the first increase in years, backed by a budget of GH¢1,788,009,480, reaching 4,231,059 pupils. The 2026 year’s allocations saw a further increment to GH¢1,982,902,513, a 42 percent increment, holding the grant at GH¢2.00, while reaching 4,527,636 children daily.”

The minister said the figures reflected the government’s continued investment in the programme and its expansion to cover more pupils.

The Ghana School Feeding Programme provides meals to pupils during school hours, with the broader aim of supporting school attendance while helping ensure that children have access to food as they pursue their education.