The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major General William Agyapong, has announced a series of self-help projects, housing reforms and welfare initiatives aimed at strengthening the operational capacity and wellbeing of personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

Speaking at the End of Year West Africa Social Activity (WASSA) 2025 held at the Burma Camp in Accra on Friday, January 23, the CDS said the Armed Forces was taking deliberate steps to support itself through strategic partnerships and internal resource mobilisation.

“We are not sitting aloof on our own as an armed force. We are leveraging our goodwill, our expertise, and strategic relations to do more for ourselves.”

He disclosed that the military has begun collaborating with partners to manage its own travel and tour requirements, reducing dependence on external support. Beyond this, he said the Armed Forces was exploring several income-generating ventures.

“We are also arranging same in the area of bakery, block making, kenkey production, poultry and crop farming,” he said, explaining that “all these we hope will accrue some resources for the system to use to support our logistics challenges.”

Major General Agyapong also announced a major barracks regeneration strategy focused on modernising housing facilities at Burma Camp. According to him, the project will involve converting existing housing units into high-rise buildings to make better use of available land.

“We have undertaken a barracks regeneration strategy that will see the modernisation of Burma Camp housing units to high-rise buildings to save more than half of the existing land space,” he said.

He added that the project would begin with a self-help fundraising event in April this year and would initially deliver 200 housing units in a selected section of the camp.

In addition to housing, the CDS revealed plans to establish a school for children with special needs within the Armed Forces community. He further announced the launch of a trust fund to support families of personnel who lose their lives in the line of duty.

“In March this year, we will commence the implementation of the Ghana Armed Forces Trust Fund to cater for the dependants of serving personnel who fall in harm’s way whilst in service,” he said, noting that the initiatives would “certainly help support the welfare needs of troops".