Ghana-Togo to collaborate to ensure food security

Ghana and Togo have agreed to collaborate in the areas of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries to ensure food adequacy and security in the West African sub-region.

They have also agreed to collaborate in the areas of electricity, trade and water supply to kick-start the integration process of the Economic Community for West African States.

President John Dramani Mahama who announced this at news conference with Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe said the collaboration formed part of their closed door discussions in Accra.

Togolese President Gnassingbe, who is on a three-day state visit to Ghana would among other things visit the West Hills Mall in Accra, attend the Atta Mills memorial lectures at GIMPA and jointly inaugurate a railway project with President Mahama at Aflao in the Volta Region.

President Gnassingbe was in the company of his political opponent; Gilchrist Olympio, throughout his rounds.

President Mahama said Ghana has been a traditional supplier of electricity to neighbouring Togo and Benin and even in the face of current energy crisis in Ghana, the two countries were gathering momentum to leverage the supply by stepping up production.

The Ghanaian President said plans are underway to construct a hydro dam on the river Oti in the Northern Region, to augment the supply of the commodity to Ghanaian communities and other communities in the Republic of Togo.

On water supply, President Mahama said government is working around the clock to construct the Sogakope water project, which would supply potable water to 30 communities in the Volta Region and to Lome and other communities in Togo.

President Mahama said all these initiatives are moving towards integrating the sub-region, believing that such moves could spur other countries on to speed up their integration process.

President Gnassingbe indicated that Togo has a lot to learn from Ghana in the areas of agriculture and electricity supply.

He said for now Togolese farmers rely on machinery in Ghana for their farming activities and therefore forging such collaborations could further deepen their relations and step up their food production.

On political activities, he said as President of Togo, the constitution would continue to be the guideline to his governance principles, giving the assurance that he would pursue reconciliation programmes in his country.

He said it was for this reason that he was moving around with Mr Olympio to demonstrate his commitment to ensuring peace and unity in the country.