Accra, June 27, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufuor arrived home on Sunday night from London to a warm welcome by party supporters led by flagbearer, Nana Akuffo Addo, at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra.

A statement signed by Mr Frank Agyekum, Spokesperson of former President Kufuor, said thousands of party supporters sang and chanted praises, showing the party's appreciation to him for winning the 2011 World Food Prize.

The co-winner is former Brazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva. The two laureates will receive their awards in October in the US.

In a brief interaction with the media, former President Kufuor expressed his delight at winning the award and described it as a reflection of the good works of this government in alleviating the plight of Ghanaians.

A citation accompanying the announcement of the award said: "Under President Kufuor's leadership, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to cut in half the proportion of its people who suffer from hunger, and the proportion of people living on less than a dollar per day, on course to meet UN Millennium Development Goal 1.

"Continuing Ghana's tradition of stability, President Kufuor prioritized national agricultural policies: Ghana saw a reduction in its poverty rate from 51.7 per cent in 1991 to 26.5 per cent in 2008, and hunger was reduced from 34 per cent in 1990 down to nine per cent in 2004.

"A guiding principle for President Kufuor during the entirety of his two terms as President of the Republic of Ghana (2001-2009)=A0was to improve food security and reduce poverty through public and private-sector initiatives.

"To that end, he implemented major economic and educational policies that increased the quality and quantity of food to Ghanaians, enhanced farmers' incomes, and improved school attendance and child nutrition through a nationwide feeding program."