Tamale: Mr. Osman Diagana, Vice President of the World Bank for West and Central Africa, expressed his admiration for the positive impact of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project on local communities. During an interactive session in Tamale with stakeholders involved in the SOCO project, including representatives from the Ministry of Local Government, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and civil society organizations, he highlighted the encouraging outcomes of the project's interventions in building community resilience.
According to Ghana News Agency, the session provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the project's progress, challenges, and future directions. A video presentation showcased the project's Knowledge Management and Coordination Platform, designed to streamline development initiatives within the SOCO implementation zones. The SOCO project, active in 48 MMDAs across the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, and Oti Regions, aims to reduce climate change vulnerability, strengthen local institutions, improve economic opportunities, and prevent violence spillover from the Sahel region.
The project represents a $450 million multi-country effort in Benin, Ivory Coast, Togo, and Ghana, with $150 million allocated to Ghana through a credit facility. Mr. Diagana, accompanied by officials from the World Bank's Ghana office and the United States Agency for International Development, visited several SOCO projects in the Tamale Metropolis. He emphasized the World Bank's people-first approach to ensure community-driven results and improve living conditions.
Mr. Diagana stressed the importance of building resilience and unity in the West African sub-region and called for an independent evaluation of the project. Mr. Samuel Seth Passah, Director at the Ministry of Local Government, noted the project's significant impact on beneficiaries, describing it as a transformative initiative empowering youth in communities.
