The Ghana School Feeding Programme is now providing meals to more than 4.53 million pupils daily, following increased government funding and an expansion in programme coverage, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has disclosed.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Dr Lartey said the number of children benefiting from the programme had increased from about 4.03 million in 2024 to more than 4.53 million in 2026.
She said the programme’s annual allocation had also risen from GH¢1.393 billion in 2024 to GH¢1.788 billion in 2025 and GH¢1.982 billion in 2026.
“In 2025, however, the government of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama raised the grant to two Ghana cedis per meal, the first increase in years,” she said.
According to the minister, the 2026 allocation represents a 42 percent increase in funding, while the grant has remained at GH¢2 per meal.
Dr Lartey said government had also cleared all Caterers’ Association arrears from 2024 and paid the first and second terms of the 2025/2026 academic year.
She further disclosed that monitoring of the programme had been significantly expanded, with compliance monitoring increasing from 4,419 schools in 2025 to 8,270 schools in 2026.
“We have trained 20,171 CATRAs and head cooks in practical nutrition standards,” she added.
The minister said the increase in programme coverage and funding formed part of broader efforts by the ministry to strengthen social protection and improve the welfare of vulnerable groups.
She said the ministry viewed the school feeding programme as one of its most visible interventions because of its direct impact on schoolchildren across the country.
“The Ghana School Feeding Programme remains one of the most visible ways this ministry touches the lives of Ghana’s school children every single school day,” Dr Lartey said.
The minister also linked the expansion of social protection interventions to the newly established legal framework for social protection, including the Social Protection Act, 2025 and the Social Protection Regulations, 2026.
She said the government would continue to prioritise timely payment of school feeding and LEAP grants as part of its social protection agenda.
