The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, has officially launched the national onboarding of 400,000 newly eligible households onto the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program. This decision represents a vital step toward strengthening the delivery of social safety and expanding care for the vulnerable.
The LEAP Program, which was introduced in 2008, has evolved into one of Ghana’s top social protection interventions, increasing from 1,654 homes in 21 districts at commencement to about 350,000 households nationwide before the present review. The Program is aimed at offering support to very deprived households, as well as elderly persons who have no support, orphans and less privileged kids, individuals with severe infirmities, and expectant women and mothers with babies.
The recent addition to the beneficiaries that took place follows a full nationwide reexamination done using the Ghana National Household Registry (GNHR), intended to improve targeting accuracy, transparency, and efficiency in the delivery of social assistance.
Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, delivered the keynote address and described the launch as a “clear statement of commitment, reform and hope,” highlighting the Government’s determination to build a more reactive and reliable social protection structure.
“She explained that the reassessment reflects the dynamic nature of poverty, where households may move in and out of vulnerability due to factors such as economic shocks, illness, job loss, and climate-related challenges. As a result, while some households have been retained on the program, 220,520 others will transition or exit after demonstrating improved living conditions or meeting established graduation criteria.”
Ministry of Gender
Onboarding To Start From April 27 2026
She further opined that the general onboarding exercise will start on April 27, 2026. She added that the procedure will encompass vital and serious validation of recipient data, registering onto secure payment platforms, and verification to guarantee precision and system honesty. “Payments to new beneficiaries will begin only after the enrolment process is fully completed to ensure transparency and accountability,” she stated.
Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey further stressed the fact that the LEAP Program has, over the years, contributed immensely in supporting vulnerable households to meet basic needs, enroll their children in school, and access important healthcare services.
In her speech, she further reiterated that the present exercise goes beyond numbers, depicting better-quality lives, reinforced families, and a transformed scheme planned to respond to developing needs.
The Minister for Gender, Naa Momo Lartey, also outlines the Government’s dedication towards providing support to households leaving the Program through well-laid-out transition measures.
These include connections to livelihood empowerment programs, fiscal literacy training on how to manage money effectively, and community-based savings schemes such as Village Savings and Loan Associations aimed at supporting long-term resilience and self-reliance.
She urged implementing agencies, MMDAs, and payment service providers to carry out the exercise with professionalism, integrity, and respect for beneficiaries, while encouraging newly enrolled households to take full advantage of the opportunities provided under the Programme.
In attendance at the program was the Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. Marian W. A. Kpakpah. In her speech, she described the launch as a significant milestone in advancing Ghana’s social protection reforms. She stressed the need for a system that remains inclusive, adaptive, and responsive to changing socioeconomic conditions and called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to ensure effective delivery.
Development partners from the World Bank, UNICEF, World Food Program, and the Civil Society Organizations applauded the Government for the ongoing reforms under the LEAP Program, particularly the nationwide reassessment and onboarding exercise, and reaffirmed their continued support. The Ministry reiterated its dedication to building a more inclusive, transparent, and effective social protection system to ensure that the LEAP program is improved and expanded to reach more people.
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