In a major policy shift, the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) has terminated the contracts of all its caterers across the country, signalling the beginning of a nationwide restructuring exercise aimed at reforming the delivery of meals to pupils in public basic schools.
The announcement, made through an official statement dated May 2, 2025, directs all existing caterers to halt operations ahead of the third term of the 2024/2025 academic year. The move affects hundreds of caterers who have been responsible for feeding millions of schoolchildren under the programme.
“Contracts of all caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme have been terminated with immediate effect,” the statement read. “No existing caterer should cook for the third term.”
The GSFP Secretariat clarified that the termination is not punitive but part of a broader restructuring plan to enhance the effectiveness, transparency, and equity of the programme. The current recruitment model and operational guidelines are expected to be reviewed and replaced with new standards.
As caterers express concern over their livelihoods and the sudden nature of the directive, the GSFP has assured them that all pending payments for meals served in the second term will be honoured. “All outstanding arrears for the second term of the 2024/2025 academic year will be paid in due course,” the statement assured.
The government’s school feeding programme, which has been instrumental in promoting school enrolment and reducing hunger among pupils, has faced multiple challenges in recent years—including complaints about delays in payments, poor food quality, and lack of transparency in caterer selection.
This restructuring, officials say, is intended to address those issues head-on. New recruitment guidelines and a fresh selection process are expected to be announced shortly.
Stakeholders, including caterers, education officials, and civil society actors, are watching closely to see how the restructuring will affect service delivery and whether it will improve the programme’s impact on basic education in Ghana.
