The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch Mr. Kofi Asare addressed the ongoing issues plaguing the school feeding program in Ghana as Senior High Schools reopens.
Mr. Asare highlighted that food shortages in schools is not a new issue. He explained;
“There are about 18 food items on the list of food supplied by the centrally procured and supplied foodstuff sent to the schools.’’
Mr. Kofi Asare Executive Director of Africa EduWatch
However, schools are also expected to purchase perishables like fish and eggs at the local level. “Some of these food items are in scarce supply,” he admitted. According to him, in the Northern region, in the past year, providing bread to students is almost becoming a history. As a result, breakfast options in some regions are limited.
Despite these shortages, Mr. Asare clarified that there is no complete lack of food in the system. He added;
“But some essential ingredients that make up the food basket in the schools are in short supply.”
Mr. Kofi Asare Executive Director of Africa EduWatch
The root cause, according to him, lies not in the absence of food, but in a deeper liquidity challenge affecting the procurement and distribution systems.
The core issue Mr. Asare argued, is a liquidity problem that has persisted for years, affecting the supply chain for school food. He reaffirmed;
“The feeding arrangement under the equity policy is not yet a system. It is nowhere near becoming a system. It was an ad hoc arrangement and has continued to be an ad hoc arrangement.’’
Mr. Kofi Asare Executive Director of Africa EduWatch
Mr. Asare explained that the procurement process for school food is deeply politicized, with politicians directly involved in managing the food supply.
This lack of a functional system has made the entire food supply process vulnerable to political transitions and disruptions.
One of the key insights Asare offered was the impact of political transitions on the school feeding program.
The suppliers of food to schools are acutely aware of political changes, and this has caused significant inertia in food supply, particularly after the 2024 elections.
“We detected inertia on the part of food suppliers from September,” Mr. Asare observed.
This hesitation to supply food, he explained, was due to uncertainty about the future of the centralized procurement system and concerns over whether the government would pay for the supplies.
He further elaborated on how suppliers were reluctant to continue their contracts due to the political economy surrounding the feeding program.
The uncertainty, he explained, stemmed from the NDC’s promise to abolish the centralized procurement system for school food and decentralize the process. He indicated;
“The [suppliers] are also conscious to continue to supplying. Because if you continue to supply, you can’t see the future of your business.’’
Mr. Kofi Asare Executive Director of Africa EduWatch
The Need for Transitional Solutions
Mr. Asare emphasized that the government needed to address the liquidity challenge in the short term to ensure the smooth operation of the school feeding program. He added;
“What we need is a level of assurance from the government that, even though it has promised to decentralize the procurement of food to senior high schools, it doesn’t intend to do it suddenly.’’
Mr. Kofi Asare Executive Director of Africa EduWatch
He pointed out that a gradual and well-managed transition, with proper assurances for suppliers, could resolve the inertia in the supply chain.
The incoming government, according to Mr. Asare, should have been proactive in addressing these potential disruptions during the transition period.
The government could have foreseen these challenges and acted accordingly, providing liquidity and assurances to ensure that schools reopened without disruptions in food supply.
In conclusion, Mr. Asare stressed the importance of addressing the systemic inefficiencies within the school feeding program.
The politicization of food procurement and the lack of a reliable system for food distribution have created significant challenges for schools.
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