NDPC Chair Questions COCOBOD’s Relevance
Calls for sweeping reforms in Ghana’s cocoa sector intensified on Thursday after Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Nii Moi Thompson, openly questioned whether the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) still serves a meaningful purpose in the country’s modern economy.
Addressing participants at the Ishmael Yamson & Associates Business Roundtable 2026 in Accra, Dr Thompson argued that Ghana continues to maintain a large administrative structure around cocoa despite the crop’s declining contribution to national economic output.
He suggested that institutions created during periods when cocoa dominated the economy should now be reassessed in light of changing economic realities.
According to him, cocoa was once the backbone of the Gold Coast economy, contributing the overwhelming majority of export earnings decades ago. Today, however, its economic influence has reduced significantly, raising questions about the scale of state control surrounding the industry.
Dr Thompson maintained that despite years of policy interventions and state supervision, cocoa production growth has remained unimpressive, while many farmers continue to struggle financially.
He also criticised what he described as an expensive bureaucratic culture within COCOBOD, arguing that resources appear to be directed toward administrative comforts instead of directly improving farmers’ livelihoods and productivity.
The NDPC Chairman further turned his attention to the annual National Farmers Day celebration, describing it as another initiative that deserves urgent review.
He questioned whether decades of awards ceremonies and public recognition for farmers had translated into meaningful improvements in agriculture or food security.
Without mincing words, Dr Thompson said Ghana still imports substantial quantities of food despite years of celebrating farmers nationally, adding that many farming communities remain among the poorest in the country.
He cited reports that authorities struggled to fully honour prize commitments to some award winners, describing the development as evidence that the programme may no longer be achieving its intended purpose.
Dr Thompson insisted that the country must move beyond symbolic programmes and instead focus on practical reforms capable of transforming agriculture, improving productivity and raising incomes for farmers.
He called for a more efficient use of national resources and policies that prioritise economic transformation over maintaining outdated institutional structures
Source: myjoyonline.com
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