By Stanley Senya
Accra, Oct. 3, GNA – The newly appointed UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Country Representative, Dr Meshack Oguna Malo, has presented his Letters of Accreditation to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to formally mark the beginning of his office tenure.
Dr Malo succeeds Ms Priya Gujadhur, who served as FAO Representative in Ghana and provided leadership to the FAO Country Office during her tenure.
A statement issued in Accra, said he was accompanied by Dr Abebe Haile-Gabriel, the FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa.
Dr Malo reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to working closely with the Government of Ghana and partners to advance food security, sustainable agriculture, resilient livelihoods and inclusive agrifood systems transformation.
“It is a great honour to take up this responsibility in Ghana and to build on the strong foundation of cooperation between the Government of Ghana and FAO. We are committed to supporting Ghana in translating its agricultural potential into sustainable opportunities for farmers, young people, women and rural communities,” said Dr Malo.
Mr Ablakwa welcomed Dr Malo and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding partnership with the FAO.
“Ghana values its longstanding partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation. We look forward to working closely with Dr Malo and FAO to advance our shared priorities in agriculture, food security, rural development and sustainable agrifood systems,” he said.
Dr Abebe Haile-Gabriel underscored the importance FAO placed on its partnership with Ghana and the country’s role in advancing agrifood systems transformation across Africa.
Dr Abebe said Ghana had consistently demonstrated leadership and ambition in transforming its agrifood systems, and FAO was committed to strengthening this partnership and supporting the country with the knowledge, technical expertise, innovation and partnerships needed to accelerate progress towards sustainable development.
Dr Malo brings extensive experience in agriculture, natural resource management, humanitarian programming and agrifood systems development.
Before his appointment to Ghana, he served as FAO’s Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and the FAO Country Representative in South Sudan (2019–2026), where he led initiatives in agricultural development, irrigation, value chains, cooperative development and humanitarian programming.
He joined the FAO in 2007 and had held senior positions at national, regional and global levels, including the Organisation’s Headquarters in Rome and as an Attaché de Cabinet to the FAO Director-General.
Earlier in his career, he worked in Kenya on biodiversity conservation, agroforestry and rural
development.
FAO has worked with Ghana for decades, supporting national priorities across agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forestry, food security and nutrition, climate resilience, rural livelihoods and sustainable natural resource management.
Dr Malo’s appointment comes at an important time as Ghana advances efforts to build more productive, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.
His assumption of office marks a new chapter in the longstanding FAO–Ghana partnership, with a shared commitment to advancing food security, sustainable agriculture, resilient livelihoods and the achievement of FAO’s Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life leaving no one behind.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo