Haruna Iddrisu is the Minister of Education
The Ministry of Education has signed three separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Ministry of the Interior to enable the Ghana Prisons Service to produce sanitary pads, school uniforms and school furniture for public schools, while promoting inmate rehabilitation, skills development and local production.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, said the partnership aligns with the government’s local production agenda and the need to make inmates’ lives productive in order to reduce recidivism.
He noted that engaging inmates in meaningful vocational and industrial activities will equip them with employable skills for life after incarceration, while also supporting the education sector with locally manufactured sanitary pads, furniture and uniforms.
He assured that the Ministry of Education will provide the necessary budgetary support and work closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure effective implementation.
The Minister of Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, explained that the MoUs assign minimum production quotas to the Ghana Prisons Service, including 30 percent of school furniture, 25 percent of sanitary pads under the government’s sanitary pad distribution initiative, and 30 percent of school uniforms.
He said the initiative will ensure value for money, quality assurance, transparency and timely supply, while strengthening inter-ministerial collaboration.
He added that a joint five-member implementation committee will be established to oversee the process.
The Director-General of Prisons, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq), described the MoUs as a game changer for the Ghana Prisons Service.
She said the agreement will reposition the Service as a productive institution, create income, retool production centres and equip inmates with practical skills, ultimately helping to break the cycle of reoffending and enhance public safety.
