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How nutrition shapes learning: The brain-nutrition link in Ghana
When we talk about child nutrition in Ghana, we often talk about physical growth, weight, and height.
But nutrition does something else that we rarely discuss. It shapes how a child’s brain develops.
The food a child receives in the first two years of life does not just determine how big they grow.
It determines how well they think, how fast they learn, and how fully they become the people they are capable of being.
The period from birth to age two is a time of rapid brain development. During this window, the brain forms connections that support learning, memory, language, vision and coordination.
Without the right nutrients, this development can be permanently affected. Key micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and iodine are especially critical during this period.
Iron supports oxygen transport to the brain, zinc is essential for neural signaling and memory, and iodine is vital for the production of thyroid hormones that regulate brain development.
Deficiencies in any of these nutrients during the first 1,000 days can cause irreversible cognitive harm.
Breastfeeding plays a critical role. Breast milk provides essential fatty acids, antibodies, and other compounds that support brain and eye development.
After six months, children need diverse, nutrient-rich complementary foods to sustain this growth.
However, in many parts of Ghana, children’s diets lack sufficient diversity. Meals may fill the stomach but fail to provide the nutrients needed for optimal brain development.
Research in rural Ghana shows that children who were not adequately breastfed or who received low-diversity complementary foods are more likely to experience delays in cognitive development, language skills, and motor development.
These are not abstract findings. They describe real children in real communities across Ghana today.
Poor early nutrition leads to suboptimal brain development, which negatively affects a child’s educational performance and economic productivity long into adulthood.
This is not just a health issue, it is a development issue. Ghana cannot achieve its economic ambitions if a significant portion of its next generation is entering school with cognitive deficits that were entirely preventable.
The cost of under nutrition is not only paid in hospitals. It is paid in classrooms, workplaces, and communities for generations.
Protecting children’s brain development requires investment in the first 1,000 days of life from conception to age two.
This means supporting exclusive breastfeeding, training health workers to counsel mothers on diverse complementary feeding, ensuring that nutrient-rich local foods are affordable and accessible, and integrating early child development with nutrition programmes.
Leaders in government, health, and communities must understand that feeding a child well is not a maternal responsibility alone. It is a collective, policy-driven obligation.
A well-nourished brain is the foundation of a well-developed nation.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
Ghana’s parliament has marked the 2nd edition of May Day 2026 under the theme “ Welcome Home”.
It was special day meant to celebrate the invaluable support of the workforce, recognizing the commitment, resilience, and contributions of workers to institutional growth and national development.
Delivering the message on behalf of the Speaker, the 1st Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, described the theme as very apt, appropriate, and timely, noting that Parliament is more than a workplace, it is a shared home.
He emphasized that we cannot speak about work without speaking about people, reminding everyone that the true measure of our work is the well-being of our people.
He urged that our traditional clothing become an integral part of our everyday clothing, and that our local languages must become integral to our daily lives, interwoven into education and practiced at home.
Referencing Standing Order 63, which captures the use of local language as optional in deliberations, he encouraged a renewed commitment to identity, saying it is significant that we “come home” and present who we are so future generations can inherit a story they can fully tell.
The Clerk, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, in his remarks commended officers for their dedication and devotion to duty, calling on them to go the extra mile and leave legacies.
Echoing the reminder that an unexamined life is not worth living, he described the event as an invitation to reconnect with our roots through cultural revival.
The Deputy Clerk, C&FMS, Dr. Gloria Sarku Kumawu, urged all not to forget their roots, the people behind the stories of ministries, industries, and the strides made both in-house and beyond.
What began last year has now become a meaningful tradition, showcasing Ghanaian heritage, fostering unity, and encouraging innovation under the principle of diversity for unity and diversity for progress, she added.
The gathering brought together leadership, public officials, and staff across all levels, along with the media, standing as a unifying platform that honored service, celebrated culture, and reaffirmed a shared commitment to national development.
A Kingdom Revival Gathering of miracles, healing, worship, and prophetic encounters comes to The Palms Convention Centre.
Accra is about to experience a mighty move of God as Prophet Benjamin Fordjour and Benjamin Fordjour Ministries officially announce the highly anticipated revival gathering “Invasion 2026”.
Under the theme: “The Supernatural ” — Psalm 82:6 the event is scheduled for Saturday August 8 and Sunday August 9, 2026 at 4:00PM each night, the transformational conference will take place at The Palms Convention Centre, Accra, bringing together believers, worshippers, ministers, young people, and seekers from across Ghana and beyond for what is expected to become one of the year’s most spiritually explosive gatherings.
The two-night encounter will feature powerful ministrations from renowned men of God including: Dr Kwadwo Bempah Boateng and Snr Prophet Isaac Anto.
Hosted by Prophet Benjamin Fordjour, INVASION 2026 is designed to ignite revival, awaken destinies, and usher believers into a fresh dimension of the supernatural power of God.
According to Prophet Benjamin Fordjour, this is not just another Christian event.
“INVASION 2026 is a prophetic movement. It is a divine call for revival, restoration, miracles, healing, and kingdom awakening in this generation,” He stated.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Prophet Benjamin Fordjour emphasised that INVASION 2026 is a divine burden to raise a generation that will walk boldly in God’s power and purpose.
“This is the hour for the supernatural church to arise. Heaven is about to invade lives, families, destinies, and territories. We believe God for undeniable miracles, restoration, breakthrough, and revival.”
As anticipation continues to build across churches, campuses, ministries, and Christian communities, INVASION 2026 is already being described by many as a major kingdom gathering that will leave a lasting spiritual impact on Ghana.
