By: Murtala Issah
The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development in partnership with the European Union and Expertise France have launched a five year development project in Tamale.
The fifteen million Euro sustainable cities initiative, will be implemented by Expertise France Group, to enhance infrastructure, promote financial management, and provide valuable resources to improve living standards across six cities in Northern Ghana.
The cities are, Wa in the Upper West, Bolgatanga in the Upper East, Damongo in the Savannah, Nalerigu in the North East, Yendi and Tamale in the Northern Regions.
The North East Regional Minister, Yidana Zakaria, who launched the initiative on behalf of the Local Government Minister, lauded the European Union for the support and expressed hope that, the project will help transform lives in the beneficiary communities.
Five out of the six beneficiary cities are regional capitals, while Yendi, the only non regional capital beneficiary town, is a fast growing municipality in Northern Ghana.
The initiative seeks to address longstanding challenges faced by urban communities such as poor planning, poor infrastructure and waste management.
Dr. Yidana Zakaria, said the project is a timely one, as it will support ongoing efforts to e hance service delivery in Northern Ghana.
The EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchaad Razaly, expressed the EU’s commitment towards supporting initiatives that seek to enhance the welfare of Ghanaians.
He noted that, the sustainable cities initiative has become necessary because, more than seventy percent of Ghanaians are expected to live in urban areas by 2070.
