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Ghana reaffirms commitment to south–south trade cooperation
Ghana has renewed its commitment to strengthening trade and cooperation among developing countries at the Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP) Ministerial Meeting in Geneva.
The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, made this known on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, when she addressed ministers and senior officials from across the developing world.
She welcomed efforts to revive and modernize the GSTP, which was established in 1988 under the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to promote trade preferences among developing nations.
Madam Ofosu-Adjare explained that the GSTP remains a vital tool for expanding trade, investment, and technology exchange among developing countries, especially at a time when global trade faces challenges such as geopolitical tensions, debt burdens, and climate-related pressures.
“Ghana sees the GSTP as a platform to translate our collective market potential into concrete partnerships for value addition, innovation, and sustainable development,” she stated.
The Minister called for a careful and inclusive review of the São Paulo Round outcomes to ensure that future actions align with the current global context and the needs of developing economies.
She said the meeting provided an opportunity to assess progress and map out a practical approach for revitalizing the GSTP in a way that supports development.
Highlighting the president’s vision under the 24-hour economy, Industrial and Agribusiness Transformation Programme, she said Ghana aims to boost productivity, enhance trade competitiveness, and create jobs.
She added that Ghana’s role in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) places the country in a strong position to connect regional and inter-regional markets, which could speed up industrialization and export diversification across Africa.
Madam Ofosu-Adjare also encouraged members to include digital trade, green industrialization, and small business participation in the next phase of the GSTP.
She appealed to UNCTAD to provide technical support to help developing countries make the most of preferential trade opportunities.
Ghana’s participation in the GSTP Ministerial was part of its wider involvement in the UNCTAD XVI meetings, where the country is advocating for fairer trade, regional integration, and technology-driven economic transformation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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