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Fan Milk marks 65 years of spreading joy

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• Mr Ahi (second from left), Mr Parent (third from left), Mr Born (fourth from left), and Mrs Duplan, Board Chairperson (left), cutting the anniversary cake

 Fan Milk Ghana, a Danone company that operates in the diary and beverage industry, has been urged to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to expand its op­erations on the African continent to create jobs and meet continental demand.

The Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry, and Agribusiness, Mr Sampson Ahi, who said this at the launch of Fan Milk PLC’s 65th anniversary celebration on Friday under the theme, “65 Years of Spreading Joy”, indicated that trade among African countries remained very low.

“We are not trading among our­selves, even as African countries, and we still have huge markets that we need to explore. So, I was just trying to challenge them [Fan Milk Ghana] that even though they have performed very well in Ghana, they should try and expand to our sister countries,” Mr Ahi said.

According to him, Fan Milk Ghana’s investment in waste water treatment, biomass, boilers, and solar energy systems was setting a new benchmark in sustainable manufacturing.

Such a benchmark, Mr Ahi said, was not only admirable but aligned with the country’s commitment to green industrialisation and climate resilience.

Mr Ahi stated that the regional presence of Fan Milk Ghana and its operational strength put the company in a prime position to benefit from AfCFTA.

He, therefore, commended the company for its innovativeness, profound impact, inclusivity, and job creation that had driven the economic growth of the coun­try while pledging government’s support to companies like Fan Milk PLC through its 24-hour economy policy.

The Managing Director of Fan Milk Ghana and Francos, Mr Lionel Parent, described the company’s journey in the past three decades as both fantastic and challenging as it had gone through ups and downs moments, especially during the Covid-19 period.

Mr Parent said that the com­pany intended to build Ghana as a powerful export hub to drive employment and create 20,000 street vendors daily to help support the economy of the country, local income, and empower individuals to grow and invest.

“Fan Milk Ghana is still owned at 40 per cent by Ghanaians. Today, we announced that we are paying GH¢9.3 million dividend, and that is GH¢ 9.3 million going straight into the pockets of people living here as they can use it for their pensions, school fees for their children and medical bills,” Mr Parent said.

According to him, although the company was present in some African countries, it was looking forward to expanding to other African countries it did not exist.

Mr Parent said that Fan Milk Ghana was committed to sustain­ability as it had programmes that were aimed at transitioning the entire ecosystem to a solar system.

He said that Fan Milk Ghana had a good relation with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), adding that, “We have increased the tax we pay. We also paid GH¢250 million last year.”

The General Manager, Danone Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Hen­drik Born, said the anniversary launch was a recommitment to the mission of Fan Milk Ghana of bringing health through food to as many people as possible.

 BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY

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 60 beekeepers trained in Volta, Oti regions

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• participants at the event

 Sixty beekeepers from the Volta and Oti regions have undergone a day’s capacity training in Ho to enhance their skills in improved way of harvesting honey.

The training which was organised by VOR­AB Project International, a non-governmen­tal organisation with funding from UNDP Global Environment Facility, seeks to school participants on the requisite knowledge on how to use modern equipment to enhance their work.

They were taken through hygienic ways of harvesting honey, guidelines of quality product, packaging and customer care.

Mr Devine Okoe Odonkor, Executive Director of VORAB Project International, noted that the NGO has been part of the beekeeping development effort in the Volta and Oti regions.

Therefore we are desirous of putting our expertise at the disposal of the district assemblies to develop the beekeeping industry as a sustainable nature conserva­tion and sustainable employment unit of the assemblies.

However, degradation of the natural environment due to primary production ac­tivities such as farming, sand winning and charcoal production have been alarming.

“We need to take advantage of a lot of benevolence for humanity, pollination for forest and farm crops production bee prod­ucts for food, medicine for these priceless gifts from bees.

Toured Amaglo, Customer Service Officer of the Forestry Commission in his remarks said we need to promote the establishment of one bee farm per district in the Volta and Oti regions as an integrated socio-economic and natural environment management unit of the assemblies.

He said despite financial challenges within the region, VORAB had demonstrat­ed appreciable efforts in making sure education gets to many more people in the communities.

He advised more youth to be ready to learn beekeeping and apply the various en­trepreneurial skills that would be provided.

From Kafui Gati, Ho

Sixty beekeepers from the Volta and Oti regions have undergone a day’s capacity training in Ho to enhance their skills in improved way of harvesting honey.

The training which was organised by VOR­AB Project International, a non-governmen­tal organisation with funding from UNDP Global Environment Facility, seeks to school participants on the requisite knowledge on how to use modern equipment to enhance their work.

They were taken through hygienic ways of harvesting honey, guidelines of quality product, packaging and customer care.

Mr Devine Okoe Odonkor, Executive Director of VORAB Project International, noted that the NGO has been part of the beekeeping development effort in the Volta and Oti regions.

Therefore we are desirous of putting our expertise at the disposal of the district assemblies to develop the beekeeping industry as a sustainable nature conserva­tion and sustainable employment unit of the assemblies.

However, degradation of the natural environment due to primary production ac­tivities such as farming, sand winning and charcoal production have been alarming.

“We need to take advantage of a lot of benevolence for humanity, pollination for forest and farm crops production bee prod­ucts for food, medicine for these priceless gifts from bees.

Toured Amaglo, Customer Service Officer of the Forestry Commission in his remarks said we need to promote the establishment of one bee farm per district in the Volta and Oti regions as an integrated socio-economic and natural environment management unit of the assemblies.

He said despite financial challenges within the region, VORAB had demonstrat­ed appreciable efforts in making sure education gets to many more people in the communities.

He advised more youth to be ready to learn beekeeping and apply the various en­trepreneurial skills that would be provided.

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 Dagbon bows in majesty to bid farewell to Late Mion Lana

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Sambu, the ancestral heartland of the Mion Traditional Area, has become a river of royal memory and cultural splendor as Dagbon bids farewell to one of its most revered sons, the late Mion Lana, Nyab Abdulai Mahamudu, in a grand specta­cle of tradition, reverence, and unity.

For a week now, the town has pulsed with a sacred rhythm resounding with ancestral drumming, soul-stirring dirges, ceremonial dances, and the thunderous salute of muskets.

The air is thick with incense and history, as Dagbon’s ancient customs unfurl in a symphony of grief and grandeur.

At the centre of it all stands the enduring spirit of the Mion Lana “The Peacemaker of Dagbon” whose final funeral rite, culmi­nated in a historic durbar, drawing chiefs, royals, politicians, and mourners.

All have gathered in Sambu not merely to mourn, but to celebrate a life that bridged tradition and transformation.

Nyab Abdulai Mahamudu was enskinned as Bolin-Lana at the tender age of 14, following the death of his father, the late Ya-Na Mahamadu IV.

For over three decades, he waited in the wings of tradition, observing sacred pro­tocols and enduring royal seclusion until March 3, 2019, when he was enskinned as Mion Lana, one of the most powerful positions within the Dagbon Kingdom and a direct heir to the revered Ya-Na throne. Yet his reign, though brief, was profoundly impactful.

With a voice firm in wisdom and a heart anchored in peace, the Mion Lana became a cornerstone in healing the fractured legacy of Dagbon’s past.

In 2019, his public endorsement of Ya-Na Abukari II symbolised the dawn of a new era—one of reconciliation, renewal, and shared destiny.

He was more than a royal figure; he was a visionary. Under his leadership, the Mion Traditional Area witnessed a surge in youth engagement, education reform, and com­munity development.

His “Back to School” campaigns reignit­ed hope for thousands of young people. Through partnerships with organisations like the Ghana National Petroleum Corpora­tion (GNPC), he oversaw the construction of new classroom blocks and championed the drilling of over 15 mechanised boreholes, bringing clean water to remote communi­ties.

In every action, the Mion Lana embodied a rare fusion of tradition and progress of ancient authority and modern compassion.

The final rites spearheaded by the elders of the Abudu Royal Gate and the Mion Traditional Council are as much a cultural renewal as they are a farewell.

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 GTA official honoured for outstanding support to TOUGHA

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• Mr Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi being honoured

 Mr Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, Deputy Director in charge of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has been honoured for his ex­ceptional contributions to the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA).

The honour was conferred by Mrs Alisa Osei-Asamoah, the immediate past president of TOUGHA, during a thanksgiving dinner she hosted to mark the end of her four-year leadership of the Union.

Mr Kusi received a citation acknowledging his pivotal role in enhancing TOUGHA’s visibility and fostering strategic partnerships during her tenure.

“Through your expertise and extensive media connections, you have significantly amplified TOUGHA’s visibility and highlight­ed our efforts across the industry. Your strategic media guidance has been instrumental in shaping pos­itive narratives about our work,” the citation read.

It continued, “Beyond media support, your role as Deputy Di­rector of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Tourism Authority has been crucial in strengthening TOUGHA’s collaboration with key institu­tions. Your counsel, professional­ism, and unwavering commitment have been a pillar not only to me personally, but to the entire union.”

Mr Kusi’s professional jour­ney reflects a blend of academic excellence, industry experience, and dedication to national devel­opment.

A proud alumnus of Prempeh College, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Ghana, Legon, be­fore obtaining a Master of Arts in Public Relations from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (now UNI­MAC-GIJ) in 2020.

He further pursued an MBA in Marketing at the Methodist Uni­versity College Ghana, graduating in 2022. He also holds a Certifi­cate in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

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