Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has announced the rollout of the Ghana Refugee Agribusiness Sustainability Programme (GRASP), a new initiative aimed at promoting self-reliance among refugees and their host communities through agriculture.

Speaking at the 76th Annual Plenary Session of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Executive Committee in Geneva, Mr. Mohammed-Mubarak said the programme seeks to establish a flagship livelihood model that can serve as a best-practice example for refugee empowerment.

“The Ghana government is working with the UNHCR to implement the Ghana Refugee Agribusiness Sustainability Programme (GRASP), which aims at establishing a flagship-level activity for refugees and their host communities that could serve as best practice for refugee livelihood,” he said.

The Minister noted that the initiative has been incorporated into President John Mahama’s Feed Ghana Programme, which is transforming the country’s agriculture sector and driving food self-sufficiency.

“The government intends to invest about $1 million a year for the next two years in the GRASP Programme, following which we expect it to be self-sustaining,” he disclosed.

He added that other state agencies were being integrated into the initiative to ensure its sustainability and success.

Mr. Mohammed-Mubarak reaffirmed Ghana’s unwavering commitment to the ideals of the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR), stating that extending livelihood opportunities for refugees remains a central pillar of the country’s refugee protection framework.