Promoting sustainable agricultural practices: IITA and BNARI train Ghana Prisons Service on BSF technology

22 August 2025

The Director of Prisons Service In-Charge of Agric, Kweku Ababio Ali presenting the certificate to one of the trainees.
The Director of Prisons Service In-Charge of Agric, Kweku Ababio Ali presenting the certificate to one of the trainees.

The Black Soldier Fly production unit, established in Kofisah, hosted a training session on the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technology for over 15 officers of the Ghana Prisons Service (GP) from 15 to 18 July 2025.

The training organized by the IITA–CGIAR led BSF for Bio-circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability (BBEST) project in partnership with the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI), was in line with:

  • One of the project’s objectives is to build capacities and BSF technology know-how of youth agripreneurs and other stakeholders, and
  • The Ghana Prisons’ agricultural agenda is to reduce the feed cost for their poultry and pig farms.
Participants processing the larvae.
Participants processing the larvae.

On day one, participants were introduced to BSF and its benefits during the theoretical session of the training. The facilitators emphasized the necessary areas to focus on like housing, farm management, and mass production of the BSF.

Dr Selorm Kofi Ofori, an Entomologist from BNARI, highlighted other areas such as the life cycle of the fly and its uniqueness, the biology of the eggs and the larvae, and how the BSF fits into a circular economy. These laid the ground for the practical session, where participants reared and fed the larvae.

In the practical session, participants were guided through setting up traps for wild eggs, egg incubation, and the transfer of the neonate larvae. The training also highlighted the harvesting and processing of the larvae and the process of degutting them.

One of the participants placing the larvae into the oven.
One of the participants placing the larvae into the oven.

Participants were taught how to use seed germination to test the maturity of the frass after composting, this was led by Joshua Sintim, Chief Technologist and Soil Scientist at BNARI.

Participants were awarded a certificate of completion after the three-day training on BSF technology. The Director of Prisons Service in charge of agriculture, Kweku Ababio Ali, was present at the certificate presentation. He expressed gratitude to the IITA and BNARI team for their support.

Contributed by Francisca Ocloo and Amuetey Nagetey0