The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision of every child accessing cocoa beverages in Ghana is becoming a reality as the Ministry of Education (MoE) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the indigenous cocoa processor, Niche Confectionery Ghana Limited, to supply ready-to-drink cocoa beverages to primary school children across the country.
The agreement allows Niche Confectionery, which Niche Cocoa owns, to supply the cocoa beverage to 1.8 million primary school children in the six cocoa-growing regions.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, signed the agreement on behalf of the Ministry. At the same time, the Chief Executive Officer of Niche Cocoa Industry Limited, the parent company of Niche confectionery, Edmund Poku, signed on behalf of the confectionery maker.
The agreement allows the company to extend the supplies to 5.6 million children nationwide. Per the responsibility, Niche Confectionery is to provide the primary school children with at least one ready-to-drink cocoa beverage as part of efforts by the government to increase cocoa consumption.
According to research, Ghana consumes about 0.5 kilograms (kg) of cocoa, although it is the second-largest cocoa producer globally.
Niche Confectionary’s vision aligns with President’s vision
Dr. Adutwum said after the signing ceremony that the nutrition of every child in school remained one of the priorities of the Ministry of Education.
“This is why I am happy to sign an MoU between Niche Confectionery Ghana Limited and the Ministry of Education. The MoU will allow Niche Confectionery Ghana Limited to distribute chocolate beverages to primary school children in selected public schools, giving preference to cocoa-growing communities,” the Education Minister said.
“This partnership will help make President Akufo-Addo’s vision of ensuring that every child has access to a cocoa beverage a reality in Ghana,” he added.
The MD of Niche Confectionery, Gladys Amoah, said that the company’s business plan aligned well with the President and the government’s vision of giving Ghanaian children access to cocoa.
Ms. Amoah said Niche Confectionery’s parent company has a vision of improving cocoa consumption by adding value to the bean and translating that into consumer-ready products. Ms. Amoah noted that the company aims to achieve this while positively impacting the economy and critical communities where cocoa is sourced.
The assertion above led to the establishment of Niche Confectionery to produce consumer-ready products that would be consumed both at home and abroad, she revealed.
Cocoa is highly nutritious
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ghana has a health and nutrition challenge. One in ten children under five shows stunted growth, and ten children also lack appropriate nutrients. In contrast, only 50 percent of the population has access to Vitamin A supplementation.
Ms. Amoah said the organization its concerned about using its operations to impact cocoa farmers positively and is excited that the initiative would start within the cocoa-growing regions. Cocoa is a nutritious crop, high in fiber, iron, and antioxidants, among other essential nutrients, she noted, expressing her hope that the operationalization of the agreement would help address the nutritional gaps facing Ghanaian children.
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