The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is set to establish two additional offices in Tumu and Nandom, as part of a broader initiative to strengthen regulatory presence and improve service delivery across the northern belt of the country.
This announcement was made by the Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Manso Opuni, during his maiden visit to the Upper West Regional Office on Monday, January 19, 2026.
The visit formed part of his scheduled tour of all FDA Regional Offices in the five regions of the North and was also intended to give management firsthand insight into the working environment of regional offices and to assess their operational needs.
The CEO confirmed that Tumu and Nandom would receive new FDA District Offices, while the Tumu and Hamile border posts would be equipped with container office structures to improve working conditions.
He also revealed plans to provide new motorbikes for operations at the border posts, as the Authority works towards acquiring additional vehicles in the near future.
Prof. Opuni emphasised the importance of customer care, urging staff to maintain professionalism in their dealings with clients. He called for the timely registration of products to enhance public and stakeholder confidence in the Authority’s regulatory processes and pledged continued capacity building for regional offices.
He further announced that a needs assessment for essential office materials had already been completed and reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to decentralising operations to reduce over-reliance on headquarters.
Earlier in a presentation, the Upper West Regional Head of the FDA, Kelvin Dafaaro Sunkpal, expressed deep appreciation to the CEO and his team for the visit, noting that it was the first time a sitting Chief Executive Officer of the Authority had visited the Regional Office since its establishment in 2011.
Mr. Sunkpal outlined both the challenges and successes of the regional office. Key challenges included inadequate staffing levels, frequent vehicle breakdowns due to the vast geographical coverage of the region, and the poor state of road networks.
He also highlighted the difficult working conditions at the Tumu and Hamile border posts, where officers currently operate under trees and lack access to basic facilities, including a pharmacy.
Despite these constraints, Mr. Sunkpal reported that the region had generated substantial revenue, attributing the achievement to the dedication and resilience of staff.
He concluded by appealing to the CEO for urgent intervention to address the identified challenges.
The engagement concluded with an inspection tour of a plot of land previously acquired by the Authority in the regional capital for the construction of a permanent office complex. The CEO assured staff that the land would be fenced promptly to prevent encroachment.
The development is expected to significantly strengthen regulatory oversight, improve border operations, and enhance access to FDA services for communities across the Upper West Region.
Meanwhile, Prof. Opuni was accompanied by a high-level delegation from the Authority’s Head Office, including Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Technical Operations, Dr. George Sablah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Corporate Affairs, Mr. Gayheart Mensah, Head of Communication and Public Education, Mrs. Rhoda Ewurabena Appiah, and the Head of Estate, Mr. George Keteku.
Source: www.kumasimail.com/Ayamga Bawa Fatawu
