The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has inspected a nutrition training programme for caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in Tamale.

The training, held during her working visit to the Northern and North East Regions from August 5 to 7, 2026, brought together caterers from six regions.

It was designed to improve their knowledge and practical skills in nutrition, food safety, hygiene and the preparation of healthy and balanced meals for schoolchildren.

During the visit, Dr Lartey interacted with the caterers and facilitators, observed practical sessions and assessed how the training could improve the quality of meals served under the School Feeding Programme.

She commended the GSFP for placing greater emphasis on the nutritional value of meals, saying the programme must go beyond simply providing food to ensuring that school meals contribute to children's growth, health and ability to learn.

The Minister stressed the need for caterers to use locally available foods to prepare nutritious meals while maintaining high standards of hygiene and food safety.

She urged the caterers to apply the knowledge gained from the training and called for stronger collaboration between the Ministry, the School Feeding Programme, local authorities and technical institutions.

According to her, sustained capacity building and effective monitoring are essential to improving the quality of school meals across the country.

The training forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the School Feeding Programme, with a focus on nutrition, food safety and improved service delivery.

The ultimate goal, she said, is to ensure that children receive safe, nutritious and quality meals while at school.

The caterers expressed appreciation to the Minister for engaging with them and pledged to apply the skills acquired to improve the meals served to schoolchildren.