- COCOBOD’s 11-member board inaugurated with mandate to revive cocoa industry
- Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo appointed as board chair
- Finance Minister and Bank of Ghana Governor now statutory board members
An 11-member Board of Directors for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been officially inaugurated at the Ministry of Finance, with a renewed mandate to revive the country’s declining cocoa sector and restore its vital role in the national economy.
The newly formed board is chaired by Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and includes prominent figures such as Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson (MP) and Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Johnson Asiama. Other members are Randy Abbey (CEO), Alhaji Alhassan Kobina Ghansah, Vincent Oppong Asamoah, Deputy Trade Minister Samson Ahi, Deputy Agriculture Minister John Dumelo, Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, Nana Charles Owusu, and Eric Turkson.
The inauguration was led by Energy Minister John Jinapor, who also serves as the Alternate Minister for Finance. In his remarks, Mr. Jinapor highlighted the significant drop in cocoa production—from a peak of one million metric tonnes to about 500,000 metric tonnes—calling the situation dire but expressing confidence in the new board’s capacity to turn things around.
Dr. Forson, reflecting on his past service on the board, welcomed the opportunity to contribute again. He explained that recent legal reforms now make both the Finance Minister and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana statutory members of the board.
He underscored cocoa’s importance as the “jewel of the economy” and criticized past mismanagement in the sector. Dr. Forson also announced a bold government initiative to secure 200,000 hectares of land for large-scale cocoa plantations, aiming to restore production levels to one million metric tonnes. He urged the board to address cocoa-related diseases, especially in the Western Region, which continue to impact yields.
The Finance Ministry, he assured, will fully support COCOBOD in its transformation efforts.
In his acceptance speech, Board Chairman Dr. Ofosu Ampofo thanked the President for the trust placed in the board and emphasized the weight of their responsibility. He pledged to spearhead a transformative agenda to “reset, retool, and reimagine” COCOBOD as a model institution.
Dr. Ampofo also encouraged political leaders to actively engage in agriculture, suggesting that their involvement would inspire youth participation and renew national interest in farming.
