As part of phase one (1) of the implementation of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion Project (SOCO), the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly will prioritize education and agriculture.
Through this, the assembly intends to construct a new Junior high school, rehabilitate some dilapidated school structures, and help improve dry-season agriculture through the construction of mechanized boreholes.
Speaking to Dreamz News Tuesday after presenting 10 motorbikes to 8 community facilitators and two assembly officials, the Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga, Rex Asanga, said his outfit will construct mechanized boreholes to improve irrigation farming in the municipality.
The facilitators are expected to supervise the activities of contractors working on the various projects. In all, the Municipality has been grouped into 8 clusters with the first phase targeting 4 clusters.
The Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project, a one hundred and fifty million dollar development initiative is aimed at reducing the threat of terrorism and economic vulnerability challenges from the Sahel in the Northern half of Ghana.
The World Bank credit facility project which also covers the northern parts of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo will be implemented by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development in forty-eight (48) Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies located in six Regions, namely Northern, North East, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah and Oti regions.
The five-year project is expected to improve regional collaboration and socio-economic and climate resilience of border-zone communities in the target northern regions of the Gulf of Guinea countries exposed to conflict and climate risks.
It was launched in May 2023 by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in Bolgatanga with the hope of improving the livelihoods of people in rural areas.
According to the MCE, the assembly is shifting towards mechanized boreholes because it is far cheaper, and given the rising heat levels, it is better to tap underground water
“As part of the first phase of the project, the priority area has been education so we have put a lot of the budget in the building of a new JHS and the rehabilitation of dilapidated school buildings. We are going to pilot two mechanized boreholes in two communities and eventually increase the number of boreholes for dry-season farming. I think the boreholes will be more viable than surface water because we no longer have good valleys for the construction of dams and the evaporation rate is very high so underground water is a much better option and far cheaper than the construction of a dam.” The MCE explained.
Apart from education and agriculture being the key priority areas, the project according to Mr. Asanga will be extended to cover some basket weavers.
Meanwhile, Michael Nyaaba, one of the facilitators who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, assured the assembly of the judicious use of the motorbikes.
