The Defence Industries Holding Company (DIHOC) is being positioned as a key player in Ghana’s quest for food sovereignty, Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah has announced.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series, Dr. Boamah said DIHOC is expanding beyond infrastructure into large-scale commercial agriculture to ensure sustainable food security for both the military and the nation.
“Efforts are well underway to roll out large-scale mechanized farming operations, working closely with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Office of the President for Special Initiatives, the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, the National Service Authority, and key private sector actors,” Dr. Boamah stated.
The agricultural programme, he explained, will focus on staple crops such as maize, soya, and rice, alongside a renewed drive for poultry production to strengthen the local protein supply chain.
Recounting his recent visits to the Army Recruit Training School and various military garrisons, the Defence Minister highlighted the military’s readiness to spearhead the initiative.
“My visit to the Army Recruit Training School and within the garrisons revealed some units preparing in earnest to take up the Nkoko Nketenkete initiative,” he said, referring to a grassroots poultry project designed to boost protein availability and rural incomes.
Dr. Boamah emphasized that DIHOC’s agricultural and industrial expansion is foundational to Ghana’s long-term economic vision. Drawing comparisons with Egypt’s successes in industrialization and food security, he underscored Ghana’s potential to replicate such achievements in West Africa.
“DIHOC is laying the foundation for a resilient, industrialized Ghana that can feed itself, empower its people, and thrive in a competitive global landscape,” the Minister declared.
With DIHOC simultaneously driving the construction of a national expressway and leading Ghana’s agricultural self-sufficiency agenda, the Ghana Armed Forces are taking on a new role in national development.
“The message is clear,” Dr. Boamah concluded, “Ghana’s military is not only a guardian of national security, but also a builder of national progress.”
