Wafad Group Partners with Hubbard & Gates Foundation to Transform Rural Livelihoods via CHICKEN4U Project

WAFAD GROUP, a leading agribusiness enterprise in Ghana, in partnership with Hubbard Breeders and with the support of the Gates Foundation, is proud to announce the launch of a groundbreaking initiative to uplift rural communities through sustainable dual-purpose poultry production.

This landmark five-year program, part of the Gates Foundation’s broader effort to strengthen inclusive poultry systems across sub-Saharan Africa, aims to empower over 250,000 smallholder farmers in Ghana, with a special focus on women and youth, through the CHICKEN4U project.

Under this initiative, WAFAD will produce and distribute millions of high-quality dual-purpose birds locally branded as GRANGER to small-scale farmers across Ghana. The CHICKEN4U model integrates training, input support, veterinary care, feed supply, and structured market access, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem that enhances food security, generates income, and improves nutrition in rural households.

“CHICKEN4U is not just a project, it’s a movement,” said Ebenezer K. Yeboah, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of WAFAD GROUP. “Through this partnership, we are unlocking rural prosperity, empowering women and youth to become agri-entrepreneurs, and making poultry a reliable source of food and income for every household in Ghana.”

Step-by-Step Modernisation in Ghana:

To ensure effective implementation, WAFAD GROUP is embarking on a comprehensive modernisation program to strengthen Ghana’s poultry value chain:

New state-of-the-art Hatchery
Feedmill Upgrades
Modern Breeder Farms ( Ready and parent stocks have arrived since September 20th )
Recruitment & Training of 100+ Sales and Technical Officers (SATOs)

National rollout to recruit and train over 100 SATOs to support Mother Unit Operators (MUOs) and smallholder farmers in rural areas through extension services, good husbandry practices, and market linkages.

Sustainable Impact and Rural Transformation

With strong technical and genetic support from Hubbard Breeders, and strategic investment from the Gates Foundation, the CHICKEN4U initiative will:

Reach over 250,000 rural households across Ghana.

Distribute over 5 million dual-purpose birds annually for both meat and egg production.

Establish over 2,000 Mother Unit Operators (MUOs) as rural brooder hubs and distribution centres.

Promote local feed production and vaccine access to strengthen resilience and sustainability.

The project builds on WAFAD’s proven track record in poultry production, agribusiness innovation, and community empowerment. Through the CHICKEN4U model, WAFAD is creating real opportunities for small-scale farmers to Grow Food, Earn Income, and Change Lives.

“Hubbard is delighted to support WAFAD’s CHICKEN4U project,” said Olivier Rochard, Managing Director of Hubbard. “By combining our world-class genetics with WAFAD’s strong local expertise, we are helping to make poultry farming a sustainable and profitable venture in even the most remote villages of Ghana.”

A good example of such a project was presented by Ebenezer K. Yeboah of the WAFAD Group from Ghana. Through the “CHICKEN4U” project, based on a cooperative model, in 16 regions of Ghana, a WAFAD will deliver dual-purpose GRANGER chicks, quality feed, technical support, and market access to more than 2,000 rural farmers as mother unit operators, fostering self-sufficiency and boosting rural incomes.

They are providing farmers, youth, and women with practical skills, digital tools, and entrepreneurship opportunities to drive agricultural transformation across Ghana and the wider region.

Through a network of “Mother Unit Operators” (MUOs), WAFAD will sell the pre-vaccinated GRANGER chicks, feed, field vaccines and on-going technical support to selected and approved Mother Unit Operators and MUOs raised the GRANGER CHICKS and sell the teen chicks at 4–5 weeks of age to local smallholder farmers, who will then raise the birds to maturity in backyards, free-range systems, or small poultry farms to Grow Food, Earn Income, Changing Lives!