The Ministry of the Interior, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that mandates the Ghana Prisons Service to produce and supply not less than 30 per cent of sanitary pads, school uniforms, and school furniture for public schools across the country.
The ceremony, held at the Ministry of the Interior in Accra, underscores government’s commitment to strengthening local manufacturing capacity, ensuring value for money, and promoting inclusive national development.
Speaking at the event, Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, said the initiative goes beyond procurement. “It is about restoring dignity through work, equipping inmates with employable skills, generating income, and decisively reducing recidivism,” he stated. He announced that a five-member committee will be established to provide strict oversight and ensure effective implementation of the agreement.
Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, described the MoU as a strategic move to reposition the Ghana Prisons Service within the education value chain. He stressed the importance of ending idle inmate life through structured skills training and productive engagement, noting that the initiative aligns with government’s broader policy of promoting indigenous production and industrial self-reliance.
Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, hailed the agreement as a “game changer.” She said the Service is poised to contribute meaningfully to national production while enhancing public safety. “By breaking the cycle of recidivism, this initiative will help transform inmates into law-abiding, productive citizens who can contribute positively to national development,” she affirmed.
Government officials at the ceremony emphasized that the policy reflects a deliberate choice to place education, productivity, and rehabilitation at the centre of national development, while anchoring public procurement within state institutions to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency.
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