Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku has asked the Finance Ministry to reverse Ghana’s proposed withdrawal from the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), warning that the decision has put more than GH¢643 million in existing commitments and key agricultural activities at risk.

In a letter to the Finance Minister dated 28 September 2026, Mr Opoku said the Ministry of Finance had written to the World Bank on 23 September seeking Ghana’s withdrawal from the programme without first consulting the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).

He said the World Bank subsequently directed the FSRP implementation team to pause a range of activities with immediate effect.

According to MoFA, outstanding obligations for agricultural infrastructure works under the programme total GH¢643,867,633.36. The ministry said GH¢520,257,975.43 relates to credit from the International Development Association (IDA), while GH¢123,609,657.93 relates to the FS2030 Trust Fund.

The minister cautioned that notifying the World Bank of a withdrawal would not remove the government’s obligations under contracts already signed.

“Without an alternative funding plan, Government may have to meet payments from other resources,” the letter said, warning of possible delays, additional costs or contractual claims if work is suspended or terminated.

MoFA said rehabilitation works at the Weta, Vea and Kpong irrigation schemes, as well as selected inland valleys, could be affected.

World Bank directs pause in activities

The letter states that, in an email dated 24 September, the World Bank directed the project team to pause all activities and procurement financed by the IDA credit and Recipient-Executed Trust Funds.

MoFA said the Bank also directed a halt to procurement and implementation of tomato seed and micro-irrigation activities funded by a Norwegian grant.

The ministry warned that delays in those activities could cause farmers to miss seasonal planting windows, pushing back production and the expected benefits to farmers.

The directions also affect work linked to the government’s Feed Ghana programme. According to the letter, recruitment has been stopped for the Feed Ghana Brigade, an adviser to the ministry’s Network Operations Centre and a data analyst. Further digitisation, farmer registration and support for the Feed Ghana Secretariat have also been halted.

MoFA said those stoppages could delay systems needed to identify farmers, direct support to beneficiaries and monitor delivery, while limiting coordination of activities in the field.

“Taken together, these directives place the implementation of Feed Ghana, a flagship Government programme and a commitment in the National Democratic Congress manifesto, under immediate pressure,” the letter said.

Call for withdrawal notice to be retracted

Mr Opoku urged the Finance Ministry to formally retract its 23 September notice to the World Bank and seek the Bank’s written clearance before the affected activities resume. The letter said the Bank-directed pause should remain in place until that clearance is obtained.

He also called for the two ministries to urgently reconcile contractual commitments, payments due and activities affected by the suspension. They should then engage the World Bank on an arrangement that protects ongoing works and restores implementation, the letter said.

On the Pwalugu project, MoFA asked that its funding be pursued through an arrangement that does not jeopardise Ghana’s existing FSRP commitments or the agricultural interventions affected by the pause.