SHS food crisis rooted in financial issues, not shortages – Kofi Asare

Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, has identified financial mismanagement as the root cause of food shortages in Ghana’s Senior High Schools (SHS).

Speaking on The Big Issue on January 18, 2025, Asare stressed that delays in paying suppliers, especially small-scale ones, disrupt the supply chain.

“The issue isn’t food; it’s financial. Suppliers hesitate because of outstanding debts,” he said, calling for better cash flow coordination between the Ministries of Finance and Education.

He warned that smaller suppliers struggle to sustain operations when owed for over 90 days, exacerbating the crisis at district levels.

Amid rising concerns, President John Mahama has pledged to decentralize food procurement, enabling schools to source food locally and reduce reliance on the central government.