President Akufo-Addo Announces Free Tertiary Education for Cocoa Farmers’ Wards.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has introduced a scholarship program that will cover tertiary education expenses for the children of Ghanaian cocoa farmers. Announced at the 2024 National Farmers’ Day Awards in Accra, this initiative directs the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to fund tertiary education for qualified wards of cocoa farmers. This scheme follows the government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) program, which began in 2017.The President stated that this move replaces the prior COCOBOD scholarship, which had supported secondary education for children from cocoa-producing communities. With this shift, COCOBOD will also establish a Cocoa Board Education Trust, focusing on enhancing primary school facilities in cocoa-growing areas.During the awards ceremony, Nana Owusu Achiaw from Ashanti Region’s Sekyere-Central District was crowned as the 2024 National Best Farmer, receiving GHS1 million in recognition of his sustainable farming methods.