West Africa’s FSRP talks key projects with Ghanaian journalists
The West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) has engaged Ghanaian broadcast journalists, including anchors and radio and television ‘Morning Show’ hosts on the rationale, objectives, lined-up activities, and interventions of its key projects. The programme was part of FSRP’s activities to introduce its projects to critical stakeholders.
The FSRP Project Coordinator, Mr. Osei Owusu Agyeman explained that countries within the West African sub-region face common natural and social phenomena like floods, droughts, pests, livestock diseases, pandemics, and civil wars that impede food production and distribution in the sub-region.
It is for this reason that ECOWAS and the World Bank found it expedient to coordinate efforts among its member nations to strengthen food system risk management in the subregion, leading to the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP).
“FSRP, which in Ghana is being driven through the Ministry of Food & Agriculture, is rolling out a combination of adaptive, innovative, and sustainable interventions to arm vulnerable households, families, farmers, and communities to withstand uncertainty and shocks in food production and distribution in the sub-region,” he said.
Explaining the objectives of the project, the FSRP Operations Manager Mr. Philip Laryea said FSRP Ghana is focusing primarily on the intensified production, marketing, and consumption of wholesome Rice, Maize, Broiler Poultry, Soyabeans and Tomatoes.
To that end, preparations are fast advancing to construct or refurbish pivotal value chain facilities across the country, including: food and agric-related laboratories, irrigation schemes; selected border posts; warehouses and markets. FSRP is also supporting anchor poultry farmers with input credit and installing Automated Weather Stations for agric-focused and location-specific weather forecasts.
Present for the function were: Kwami Sefa Kayi – host of Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo!’ and 2016 GJA Journalist of the Year also known as “The Chairman General”; Bernard(ino) Koku Avle – host of Citi Breakfast Show and Citi TV’s ‘Point of View’, 2017 GJA Journalist of the Year and General Manager of Citi FM/TV, also known as “Alorsky”; Kafui Dey – host of Ghana Television’s ‘The Breakfast Show’; Kojo Yanson, also known as “The Morning Man” – host of ‘The Super Morning Show’; Kafui Kanyi, Chief Editor at Ghana News Agency; and Elvis Darko – Editor of ‘The Finder’ newspaper.
Others include David Agbenu – Editor of ‘The Ghanaian Times’ newspaper; Winston Amoah – co-host of Joy FM’M ‘Super Morning Show’; Nathan Quao, co-host of ‘Citi Breakfast Show’; Umaru Sanda Amadu – anchor of Citi FM’s ‘Eyewitness News’; Valentina Ofori – Afriyie – Managing Editor of Class 91.3 FM and host of ‘Midday Live’; Thelma Tackie news anchor of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s news and co-host of GTV’s ‘The Breakfast Show’; George Sarpo – host of ‘Uniiq Breakfast Show with George’; and Roland Walker, host of TV3’s ‘New Day’ morning show.
Johnnie Beresford Hughes – award-winning TV3 Broadcast Journalist and host of 3FM’s “Sunrise” was also present alongside Bright Nana Anfum, Metro TV News Editor; Elizabeth Aidoo – news anchor at 3FM; Isaac Kaledzi reporter of DWTV; Lantam Papanko – host of ‘GH Today’ on GHOne TV; Mary Anane Darko – representing Sammy Ablordepey, News Editor of ‘Daily Graphic’ newspaper; and Justice Baidoo of France 24, represented by Agnes Bekoe.
The Communications & Knowledge Management Specialist of FSRP, Earl Ankrah, briefed the senior journalists that this engagement isn’t just about introducing FSRP to them but to also solicit their opinions and input for policy planning, implementation, and communication. He stressed that Morning Show hosts play a critical role in setting the agenda for the discourse of national issues.
“We (broadcast journalists) are the first to hear and feel the concerns of the populace through their phone-ins, texts and voice mails. At the same time, we are the ones who give the mics to policymakers to tell the populace what is being done to address their concerns. We connect critical demographics every blessed day. This puts us in the best position to make inalienable input in policy planning and implementation,” he emphasized.
He therefore invited them to advise the project on how to contextualize all issues related to the project in broader perspectives. He said, “We don’t want you to hear about FSRP from anyone else, but directly from us. Be at liberty to reach out to us to demand any info or clarification on any matter; tell us your uninhibited opinion about us!”
FSRP is a World Bank and Government of Ghana-driven food system risk management project, coordinated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It draws synergies from regional participating countries, including Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana, Niger, Mali, Chad, Sierra Leone, and Senegal; and national agencies, including the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet), the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Source: FSRP
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