The Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission (FC) has held a two-day Management Retreat in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, from 29th – 30th January 2026, aimed at reviewing the Division’s performance in 2025 and setting its strategic agenda for 2026.
The high-level strategic meeting brought together Regional and District Managers from across the country to assess performance, outline projections, set objectives, policies, and targets for the year ahead.
The Chief Executive (CE) of FC, Dr. Hugh Brown, in his address, commended the management and staff of FSD for their achievements over the past year, and expressed confidence in improved productivity in 2026, despite the Division’s limited resources and recent leadership changes. He noted that the Division had seen three Executive Directors within one year and reflected on its 117-year history, having been established in January 1909. Against this backdrop, Dr. Brown emphasised the urgent need for stronger legal and security-backed measures to protect Ghana’s Forest Estate.
Dr. Brown announced that the FC Board had approved a revised Mission Statement, which places protection at the core of sustainable forest management. The Commission’s vision, he stated, is to “Protect, sustainably manage, and develop Ghana’s forest and wildlife resources”. He highlighted key achievements, including progress in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey); the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative (T4L); Ghana’s issuance of the Forest Law, Enforcement and Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licenses, making it the second country globally after Indonesia, and increased investment in ecotourism. He also stressed the importance of professional integrity, strong leadership skills, and continuous capacity building among staff.
Bringing his address to a close, Dr. Brown outlined five strategic pillars to guide his tenure: enhanced forest protection and law enforcement; expanded reforestation and forest restoration; promotion of ecotourism and environmental service permits; biodiversity conservation; and strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration supported by technological innovation.
Echoing the CE’s priorities, the Acting (Ag.) Executive Director of FSD, Dr. Gordon Kofi Sarfo-Adu, expressed optimism for 2026 and called for renewed commitment, clarity of purpose, and a more coordinated approach to forest governance. He highlighted achievements in forest protection, revenue mobilisation, stakeholder engagement, field monitoring, inter-agency collaboration, and staff welfare, reaffirming the Division’s resolve to safeguard Ghana’s green heritage for future generations.” We must adopt a more strategic and coordinated approach going forward as a Division”, he emphasised.
In reaffirming its collective commitment to professionalism, the Division engaged the services of three consultants to provide specialised capacity building programs aimed at strengthening staff capacity. The consultants were Prof. Victor Kwame Agyeman, Chairman of the Public Services Commission; Ms. Esther Cobbah, Board Member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) Ghana, and Chief Executive Officer of Stratcomm Africa; and Major General (Dr.) Emmanuel W. Kotia (Rtd.), Founding Commissioner-General of the Ghana Boundary Commission.
Mrs. Valerie Fumey-Nassah, Director, Plantations Department and Mr. Yaw Kwakye, Director, Natural, Forests, presented papers through their representatives, Dr. Ben Torgbor, Mr. Kwame Agyei, and Lawyer Abdallah Seidu Ali, respectively. Solidarity messages were delivered by the Ag. Director of the Forestry Commission Training Centre (FCTC), Lawyer Richard Niinnoni; and Mr. Yaw Atuahene-Nyako, Director, Resource Management Support Centre (RMSC). In addition, Dr. Abdul-Nasir Abubakar, Ag. Director, Human Resources, and Rev. Carl Ahadzi Mensah, Director, Audit, addressed issues relating to succession planning and compliance with fiduciary standards respectively.
The retreat provided a platform for in-depth deliberation on the FSD’s 2026 agenda, enabling participants to propose practical strategies for achieving set targets within defined timelines.
Dr. Sarfo-Adu, delivering his closing remarks, reaffirmed Management’s commitment to coherence, accountability, and transparency while admonishing the gathering to intensify their efforts in the new year.
The annual gathering concluded with a renewed sense of purpose and shared resolve to strengthen collaboration and deliver the Division’s mandate effectively in 2026.
