The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the quality and nutritional value of meals served under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), urging caterers to apply newly acquired skills to provide healthier meals for schoolchildren.
The Minister made the call on Friday, July 31, 2026, during a monitoring visit to selected training centres in the Greater Accra Region, where caterers and cooks were participating in a two-day nutrition training programme supported by the World Bank.
The training, held from July 30 to 31, sought to strengthen the capacity of GSFP caterers in nutrition, food hygiene, food safety and the preparation of balanced meals to ensure pupils receive safe, healthy and nutritious food.
Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey was accompanied by the National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Hajia Fati Forgor, and members of the programme’s management team as they visited the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) training centre to assess the progress of the exercise.
The delegation observed practical cooking demonstrations, interacted with facilitators and participants, and inspected meals prepared during the training.
They were joined by the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, and the Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo, Hon. Alfred Kotey Ashie, who also sampled the meals prepared by the caterers.
Addressing participants, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey praised the caterers for their dedication and urged them to put the lessons from the training into practice.
“The knowledge and skills you have acquired through this training must be reflected in the quality of meals served to our children. Nutritious and safe meals are essential to the health, growth and academic performance of every child under the Ghana School Feeding Programme,” she said.
Hon. Alfred Kotey Ashie also encouraged the caterers to remain committed to the objectives of the programme by consistently providing quality meals that meet the required nutritional and safety standards.
“Your work goes beyond cooking. You are contributing directly to the health, wellbeing and future of our children. Continue to uphold the highest standards of food safety, nutrition and professionalism,” he told the participants.
National Coordinator Hajia Fati Forgor expressed appreciation to the caterers for their enthusiasm and active participation throughout the training.
She also thanked the World Bank for its continued support in strengthening the implementation of the Ghana School Feeding Programme through capacity-building initiatives.
“We are grateful to the World Bank for partnering with us to build the capacity of our caterers. This investment will ultimately improve the quality of meals served to thousands of schoolchildren across the country,” she noted.
Earlier in the training programme, the Member of Parliament for Tema West, Hon. James Enu, together with the Tema West Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Ludwig Totimeh, visited the Tema West training centre, where they interacted with caterers and cooks, observed practical cooking sessions and sampled meals prepared during the exercise.
They encouraged participants to maintain high standards of food hygiene, nutrition and professionalism in preparing meals for beneficiary schools.
The nutrition training forms part of the Ghana School Feeding Programme’s broader efforts to improve food quality, promote healthy eating habits among schoolchildren and strengthen the programme through continuous capacity building for caterers and cooks.
Source: Felix NYAABA/expressnewsghana.com