Fifty-two motorbikes, 33 laptops and five pickups have been handed over to five Municipal Assemblies in the Upper West Region to enhance the implementation and monitoring on the Gulf of Guinea Northern Region and Social Cohesion Project. (SOCO).

The Project has as its fundamental objective of improving collaboration among communities

The Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project is a sub-Sahel Regional project aimed at providing support for the northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries (Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Benin), that are hardest hit by fragilities due to food insecurity and climate change, conflict and violence. These risk factors are anticipated to influence community members and youth within these sub-Sahel regions to be highly susceptible to extremist ideologies.

SOCO is expected to help improve the socio-economic resilience of 48 targeted districts in the Upper West, Upper East, Northern, North East, Savannah and Oti Regions through various components in the form of investments in Infrastructure, Local Economic Development and Youth Engagement activities.

It is expected to also provide an avenue to coordinate border-area investments, information and improve regional dialogues. The project uses the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach where decisions for investments are taken by communities in a participatory manner, to promote a sense of ownership for the investments that will be made.

Officials from the World Bank led by Mr. Nicolas Perrin, Global Sustainability and Inclusion Practice Manager called on the Minister for Local Government, Hon. Daniel Botwe in his office in Accra.

The meeting was to discuss with the Minister and the Gulf of Guinea Northern Region Social Cohesion Project (SOCO) Ghana Project Implementation Unit (PIU) on the progress of the project implementation, status updates and the next steps.

The World Bank Team expressed delight and commended Ghana highly for putting up an impressive performance on the Implementation of the Project so far.

The Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), an allied agency under the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, organised a maiden Local Economic Development (LED) Investment Fair.

The Fair offered an opportunity for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs)to showcase products manufactured in their localities.

Speaking at the opening, the sector Minister, Daniel Botwe, disclosed that a District Assembly's duty was not merely bureaucratic,  but it was about understanding challenges faced by the people and devising meaningful solutions.

He stressed that public awareness on potentials within districts was paramount, therefore, the people needed to acknowledge that LED products were not limited to culinary use alone but held the potential to enhance their lives when value was attached.

The Honorable Minister said it was time for District Assemblies to understand their importance and role within the community on economic development. He urged them to quantify the quality of life for the people by creating an enabling environment for local economic development.

Prof. Nicholas Awotwi, Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) heralded a new era of development, emphasising the need for change in the established norms.

Source:             Public Relations Unit (MLGDRD)