24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat secures a US$270 million investment agreement to revitalise Ghana’s poultry industry, boost domestic production and cut the country’s heavy dependence on imported chicken.

The investment seeks to build a fully integrated poultry value chain covering feed production, hatcheries, commercial farming, processing, cold-chain infrastructure and distribution. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen food security, conserve foreign exchange and create sustainable jobs.

The Heads of Terms agreement is signed in Accra on Thursday by representatives of the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat, the Tony Blair Institute, Agrium Capital, Petra Pension Trust and Axis Pension Trust.

The signing represents the first formal step towards implementation and demonstrates the commitment of all parties to build a competitive domestic poultry ecosystem.

Speaking at the ceremony, Presidential Adviser and Head of the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, Mr Goosie Tanoh, describes the agreement as a landmark intervention that addresses one of Ghana’s longstanding agricultural challenges.

He says Ghana continues to spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on chicken imports despite possessing the natural resources, entrepreneurial capacity and market demand to support a thriving local industry.

Ghana consumes about 340,000 tonnes of chicken annually but produces only a small fraction of that requirement. About 270,000 tonnes are imported each year, costing the country approximately US$400 million in foreign exchange.

Mr Tanoh says the trend is unsustainable and undermines local farmers, weakens food security and puts pressure on the cedi.

“The signing of this Heads of Terms agreement marks an important step towards building a modern, competitive and integrated poultry value chain capable of meeting a significant share of domestic demand.”
Mr.Tanoh

He explains that the proposed investment supports all major segments of the poultry ecosystem. This includes hatcheries, feed mills, commercial farms, processing facilities, cold-chain infrastructure and market distribution networks.

Project Aligns with 24-Hour Economy Agenda to Drive Productivity and Jobs

According to him, the project aligns directly with the objectives of government’s 24-Hour Economy agenda, which seeks to stimulate round-the-clock productive activity, promote value addition, enhance export competitiveness and generate sustainable employment.

He notes that the initiative is designed to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, particularly for young people and women in agriculture and agribusiness.

Mr Tanoh adds that beyond production, the investment focuses on building a resilient and inclusive system that links smallholder farmers to commercial operations, improves access to inputs, and ensures consistent market off-take.

Chief Executive Officer of Agrium Capital Limited, Mr Rod Bassett, says the investment will be implemented through a proprietary development and design process expected to take between 10 and 12 months.

He says the process will establish a fully integrated poultry production and operating system covering all critical components of the value chain, from feed and day-old chicks to processing and cold storage.

Project to Roll Out in Three Phases, Create Over 3,500 Jobs

Mr Bassett explains that the project will be rolled out in three phases to ensure effective execution and close integration with surrounding rural communities. He says the phased approach allows for systematic development of infrastructure, capacity building for local farmers, and the creation of sustainable economic opportunities within host communities.

When fully operational, the project is expected to create more than 1,000 direct jobs and over 2,500 indirect employment opportunities across the value chain.

Mr Bassett says the investment will also stimulate rural economic development by attracting complementary industries, increasing household incomes and expanding opportunities for smallholder farmers to participate in a structured and profitable poultry market.

He notes that the initiative supports import substitution by reducing Ghana’s reliance on imported chicken, improves environmental outcomes through efficient production systems, strengthens skills development among Ghanaian youth, and contributes to improved nutrition through increased availability of locally produced poultry.

Stakeholders at the ceremony describe the agreement as timely, given Ghana’s growing poultry import bill and the urgent need to transform agriculture into a 24-hour productive enterprise.

The 24-Hour Economy Secretariat says the poultry programme is one of several priority value chains identified under the accelerated export development strategy.

The strategy prioritises sectors where Ghana has comparative advantage and where local production can quickly replace imports while creating export potential.

Under the arrangement, Agrium Capital leads the technical design and investment structuring, while Petra Pension Trust and Axis Pension Trust provide domestic institutional capital.

The Tony Blair Institute provides advisory support to ensure alignment with international best practices and investment readiness. The Secretariat says the agreement paves the way for detailed feasibility studies, site selection, and stakeholder engagements with farmers, feed producers, aggregators and off-takers in the coming months.

It adds that the poultry investment complements government’s broader push to make Ghana self-sufficient in key food commodities, reduce post-harvest losses through cold-chain infrastructure, and position agribusiness as a major employer under the 24-Hour Economy policy.

The Secretariat assures that local content and community participation remain central to the implementation, with deliberate efforts to integrate out-grower schemes and support small and medium-scale enterprises along the value chain.-