Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Hon. Daniel Botwe has caalled for the need for partners to promote equitable development across the country.
For him, in pursuing sustainable development, there must be the promotion of harmonised, integrated, balanced and equitable development, through the formulation of development frameworks, policies, as well as the design of programmes and projects that addressed challenges in rural and urban areas.
Mr Botwe made the call at the maiden regional development forum in Tamale to engage stakeholders on key development issues.
The event was organised by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), and aimed at engaging key stakeholders on development, resilience and bridging the gap between southern and northern Ghana.
It also sought to create a platform that would evolve actions and partnerships for local development, leveraging the Gulf of Guinea Social Cohesion (SOCO) project.
The forum brought together civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other partners in the local government jurisdiction from the five regions of the north, to discuss the theme “A Policy Thrust: Achieving Equitable and Balanced Development through Effective Project Delivery in Northern Ghana.”
The SOCO project, which was at the centre of the forum, is a $150 million credit facility from the World Bank for the development of 48 districts in Northern Ghana and Oti Region.
Mr David Quaye Annang, Vice Chairperson of the NDPC, who chaired the event, said partnering the MLGDRD for the initiative underscored commitment to steering Northern Ghana towards a holistic and inclusive development.
He said holding the forum at the regional level was to enable detailed conversations about the challenges and opportunities to generate localised strategies to address them.
He said “We stand on the brink of change, mindful of the historical challenges that Northern Ghana has faced. Imbalances in development favouring the south have perpetuated disparities, which echo across sectors, magnifying the difference between rural and urban areas.”
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister said the forum was an opportunity for information sharing on the regions’ development to build consensus around aspirations and priorities of Northern Ghana.
He called for collaboration and collective action to ensure an effective, efficient and transparent delivery on the SOCO project.
Professor Ramatu Mahama Al-hassan, a Professor of Agricultural Economics, who gave the keynote address at the forum, said equitable development removed barriers to expand opportunities for low-income areas and local economies, adding that equitable development was essential for wellbeing of communities.
She said public policy played a key role in catalysing wellbeing through balanced development in the Northern part of the country in ensuring that individuals acquired knowledge and skills.
She indicated that the theme for the event raised the question of what equitable development was and how it could be achieved in the north.