By Hafsa Obeng /Emelia Nkrumah
Accra, Feb. 15, GNA – The Greater Accra Region Office of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has encouraged Ghanaians to consume all cocoa-based products produced in the country and not only chocolate.
He said, “Ghana’s cocoa is one of the best you can get in the world so we are hoping that Ghanaians will take advantage of that and consume it in large quantities not only for its health benefits but also for its economic value.”
Mr Alexander Kwame Nketia, Greater Accra Regional Director, GTA in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of this year’s National Chocolate Day celebrations, in Accra,
said there were greater health values in consuming cocoa-based products, including chocolates, as it helped to improve the immune system.
He noted that “as we eat and consume more cocoa products, production goes up and more people could be employed along the whole value chain, from farm through production and distribution.”
Mr Nketia encouraged Ghanaians to also embrace the idea of using chocolate as a symbol of love, during this period, since February is known to be a month of love because of Valentine’s Day.
He said Valentine’s Day, in Ghana had now been set aside to promote the healthy eating of cocoa. “So on this day, we are expecting people to rather use chocolate which is a cocoa-based product to show love and stay away from the traditional way of showing love which is sex.”
“As an institution known for promoting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage and traditions, we have distributed chocolates and cocoa drinks to staff and patrons of the Accra Zoo as a way of showing love to them on
this special day and promoting our own made-in-Ghana products.”
He said, “We went to Accra Zoo to show this love to the teaming public who come there on a daily basis and also encourage them to make the cocoa business a lifetime affair so that together we can grow the industry and the country.”
The 2024 National Chocolate Day celebration is on the theme; “Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy, Grow Ghana” and sub-themed “Explore Ghana, Eat Chocolate”. It aimed to promote the consumption of Ghanaian chocolate and increase domestic tourism.
GNA