The Furniture and Wood Products Association of Ghana (FAWAG) has responded positively to President John Mahama's recent directive to eliminate wooden furniture from educational institutions, affirming that the policy will not disrupt local manufacturers but rather accelerate innovation within the sector.
The announcement, made on June 5 during the World Environment Day celebrations in Accra, is part of a broader government initiative to curb deforestation, which has seen Ghana lose approximately 65,000 hectares of forest cover annually over the past decade, according to the Forestry Commission.
Christopher Dadzawa, FAWAG's Administrative Assistant, emphasised that the industry is well-prepared for the change, noting that the transition toward metal-based furniture has been underway for over two decades. "Since the early 2000s, FAWAG has championed the adoption of metal frames for school desks and chairs.
In fact, our pilot project in 2003 introduced more than 5,000 metal units across select public schools, significantly reducing reliance on timber," Dadzawa revealed during an interview with Channel One TV on June 6.
