By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, June 24, GNA – A high-level Ghanaian delegation has concluded a strategic knowledge exchange visit to Ethiopia, aimed at strengthening Ghana’s social protection and livelihood empowerment programmes.
The visit focused on Ethiopia’s internationally acclaimed Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), widely regarded as one of Africa’s most successful social protection interventions.
A statement issued by the Local Government Ministry, said the visit was led by Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
During the visit, the delegation engaged the Ethiopian counterparts on how social protection programmes could move beyond poverty alleviation to create sustainable livelihoods, resilient communities and long-term economic opportunities.
A major highlight of the mission was a field visit to Dire Dawa, where the delegation witnessed the transformative impact of Ethiopia’s public works programme on rural livelihoods and environmental restoration.
Speaking after the engagement, Mr Ibrahim described the experience as both insightful and inspiring, noting that the visible transformation of degraded lands into productive agricultural assets demonstrated the true potential of well-designed social protection programmes.
“Communities in Dire Dawa have successfully converted fragile landscapes into productive economic zones through carefully planned public works interventions,” he added.
He said the delegation observed extensive soil and water conservation structures, watershed rehabilitation projects, erosion control systems, water harvesting facilities and agricultural activities that were improving productivity while protecting natural resources.
Mr Ibrahim noted that Ethiopia’s public works initiatives had evolved beyond temporary employment schemes into long-term investments in economic development, environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
For Ghana, the lessons strongly align with the objectives of the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project Phase Two (GPSNP2), which combines Labour-Intensive Public Works (LIPW) and Productive Inclusion (PI) interventions to support poor and vulnerable households.
Under the GPSNP2, more than 57,000 beneficiaries have received skills training and livelihood support through the Productive Inclusion programme, while over 30,000 beneficiaries have obtained grants to establish or expand businesses and income-generating activities.
In addition, Labour-Intensive Public Works interventions have provided temporary employment for more than 85,000 vulnerable people across the country, while creating valuable community assets such as feeder roads, small earth dams, afforestation sites, community parks and climate-resilient plantations.
Mr Ibrahim said Ethiopia’s success demonstrated the importance of sustained investment in safety net programmes that created productive assets while improving livelihoods.
“The success stories we have witnessed in Ethiopia show that public works can be much more than a source of temporary employment. They can transform landscapes, strengthen food security, improve livelihoods and build resilience against climate shocks”
“These are lessons that are highly relevant to Ghana as we continue to strengthen our own Labour-Intensive Public Works and Productive Inclusion interventions,” he stressed.
He noted that the visible results achieved under Ethiopia’s PSNP reaffirmed the need for continued investments in programmes that empowered vulnerable households while creating lasting community assets.
He stressed that sustainable social protection required stronger government ownership, institutional commitment and long-term financing mechanisms to ensure that benefits were sustained for future generations.
The visit comes at a crucial time as Ghana intensifies efforts to institutionalise Productive Inclusion and Labour-Intensive Public Works through policy and legislative reforms aimed at ensuring sustainability beyond donor-supported interventions.
As the mission concluded, the Ghanaian delegation underscored the importance of building social protection systems that not only provided immediate support but also created long-term resilience, productivity and economic transformation for vulnerable households and communities.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah