The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has announced plans to introduce a scholarship programme that will provide free tertiary education for children of cocoa farmers across the country.
The initiative is expected to begin in the 2026 academic year and aims to ease the financial burden on cocoa farming families while encouraging young people from cocoa producing communities to pursue higher education.
The announcement was made by the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Dr Randy Abbey, during a meeting with cocoa farmers and stakeholders in Accra. According to him, the programme forms part of government efforts to improve the welfare of cocoa farmers and support the development of their families.
Dr Abbey explained that the details and guidelines for the scholarship scheme are currently being finalised and are expected to be officially announced by mid-2026. Once the programme is fully launched, children of cocoa farmers who gain admission to tertiary institutions will be eligible to receive financial support for their studies.
The initiative is intended to ensure that young people from cocoa farming households have access to higher education opportunities regardless of their financial background. Authorities believe the policy will also help motivate farmers and support the long term growth of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
COCOBOD has previously supported education in cocoa producing communities through its Cocoa Scholarship Award Scheme, which has historically sponsored thousands of students at the second cycle level each year.
The new programme seeks to expand that support by extending scholarships to the tertiary level, allowing beneficiaries to pursue university and other higher education programmes.
Stakeholders within the cocoa sector have welcomed the initiative, noting that investing in the education of farmers’ children can help improve livelihoods in cocoa growing communities while encouraging the next generation to contribute to the development of the industry.
If successfully implemented, the scholarship programme is expected to benefit thousands of families across Ghana’s major cocoa producing regions.
