UPPER WEST REGIONAL PROFILE

1.1.1       Location and Historical Perspective

The Upper West Region is one of the sixteen (16) regions of Ghana. As shown in Figure 1, the region has 11 political districts: Wa Municipal; Wa West; Wa East; Jirapa; Lambussie; Lawra; Nandom; Nadowli-Kaleo; Daffiama-Bussie-Issah; Sissala East; and Sissala West. It also has an equal number of constituencies.

Figure 1: Map of Upper West Region

The was carved out of the then Upper Region in April 1983 which was itself created out of the Northern Territory in July 1960, when the country had gone through serious economic downturn. The subsequent adoption of the democratic decentralized system of governance for Ghana offered a window of opportunity for rapid socio-economic development and poverty reduction to many deprived areas. Infrastructure to date has not been developed enough to befit the status of a region. Even though human, financial and material resources have been sent to the Districts for development by Central Government, NGOs, Donor Communities and indeed private individuals, only marginal improvements have occurred in the provision of infrastructure and poverty reduction.

The Upper West region is situated in the north- western part of Ghana. It lies between longitude 1^o 25’’ West and 2^o 45’’East and latitudes 9^o 30’’ N and 11^oN.  It is bordered to the South by the Savannah region, to the North and West by Burkina Faso, to the east by the Upper East and North East Regions. The region covers a geographical area of 18,476 sq. km, constituting 12.7% of the total land area of Ghana.

There is strong socio-cultural relationship among the border communities and an extensive inter-boundary mobility of people.  This has health implications in terms of disease epidemiology, health service utilization, management and others. The Region’s strategic location within the country and its ready access to neighboring ECOWAS markets (Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire etc.) is a great potential for trade promotion and joint development especially on Shea nuts/butter, mangoes etc. to enhance the growth and development of the Upper West Region.

1.1.2       Demography

The population of the region as enumerated in the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) is 904,695, with 48.8% (441,799) males and 51.2% (462,896) females. The region has a fairly young population with 53% being below 20 years, and this implies that there is a huge potential labour force for the future. However, the current economically active population is overburdened as there is high dependency ratio of over 91 (per hundred population in the working group) and this partly accounts for the unacceptable poverty levels and child labour in the region. The region has a consistent female dominance ratio of 94.5% males to 100 females. Generally, over 60% of the population comprising of children, women and the aged are socially and economically vulnerable, and need to be protected. The regional population density is 49.0 persons per square kilometer, an increase from 38.0 persons per sq. km. in 2010.

1.1.3 Climate

The climate of the Upper West Region follows a general pattern identified with the five regions of northern Ghana. It has a single rainy season from May to September, with average annual rainfall of about 115 cm. This is followed by Harmattan, a prolonged dry season characterized by cold and hazy weather from early November to March, followed by intensely hot weather that ends only with the onset of early rainfall in May and lately in June as a result of the impact of climate change. The mean monthly temperature ranges between 21^oC and 32^oC. Temperatures sometimes rise to their maximum (40^oC), just before the onset of the rainy season, and fall to their minimum (20^oC) in December during the harmattan brought about by the north-east trade winds.

1.1.4 Drainage

Altitudes vary from 200m (Black Volta) to 350m for the ridge that stretches from Wa in the South to the Burkina Faso border in the north and that forms the watershed between the Black Volta in the west and the Kulpawn river and White Volta in the east. The Upper West Region has both high and lowland areas with well drained lands. The highest point in the region is the cone-shaped, granitic Ombo-Wura (north of Wa) with an altitude of 435m.  There are a number of water bodies that flow through the region. The two major rivers are the Black Volta River and the Kulpawn River which flow along the western and eastern ends of the region respectively.

1.1.5 Vegetation

The Upper West Region can be subdivided into two agro-ecological zones: the guinea savanna zone in the southern part and the Sudan savanna zone in the northern and north eastern part. The determining factor for this subdivision is the rainfall pattern. The borderline between the two zones runs approximately half way between Jirapa and Nadowli. The Sudan savanna is characterized by scattered trees and a sparse ground cover of grasses. The trees found include Baobab (Adansonia digitata), dawadawa (Parkia clappertoniana), shea (Butyrospermum paradoxum subsp. parkii), Acacia albida and species of Albixxia.

In the guinea savanna, the vegetation is characterized by a higher density of pro-climax tree species. The predominant trees are Isoberina doka, Isoberina dalzieli, Daniella spp., mahogony (Khaya seneqalensis) and other Khaya spp., ebony (Diospyros mespilliformis) as well as dawadawa (Parkia clappertoniana) and shea trees (Butyrospermum paradoxum subsp. parkii). The last two are very common, as they are protected for their economic value. In the more densely populated areas they are almost the only wild trees to be found. During the wet season, the south has a cover of bunch grasses, notably Andropogon and Cymbopogon spp. and forbes (Soil Conservation and Water Management Division, UWR, unpublished).
As a result of annual bush fires, the vegetation has been degrading in both areas. In the northern part of the region, where slopes are steeper and population pressure is higher, severe soil erosion is becoming a problem. However, primary vegetation can still be found in the south of the region, especially east of the Kulpawn River.

1.2 Administrative Structure

1.2.1 Political Structure

The Local Governance Act of 2016, 936 (as amended) establishes and regulates the local government system in accordance with the 1992 Constitution. Since its creation in 1983, the Upper West Region has Wa as its capital and seat of government and administration.

The top administrative structure is the Regional Coordination Council (RCC) which include Presiding Members and Chief Executives from each district/muncipal, Regional Heads of Decentralized Departments, and two representatives of the Regional House of Chiefs headed by the Regional Minister.

The region is divided into 6 administrative districts and 5 municipalities. A Municipal or District Assembly is headed by a Chief Executive as stipulated in Act 936.

 1.2.2 Traditional Structure

The people of the Upper West Region are organized into communities comprising clans and families and related to each other by a network of an extended family system. These communities are usually headed politically by a chief as well as a spiritual leader. Chieftaincy is a respected institution and is a major medium for community mobilization. In Sissala, the title Kuoro (e.g., Tumu Kuoro) is used for the chiefs while Na (e.g., Wa Naa) is used among the Dagaaba, Birifor, Wala communities. There are 32 Paramouncies for Chiefs and Pognamine/Hala Kuore (Women Chiefs) and 407 Divisional Chiefs which jointly administer traditional rule. The role of the chieftaincy institution relates to matters like Land Administration, Maintenance of peace/conflict resolution, community revenue mobilisation.  However, the chieftaincy institution in the Municipality is fragmented with problems partially due to absence laid down procedures for succession of chiefs and other cultural practices/values. Some of these paramouncies and divisions are also vacant due to chieftaincy disputes. This does not only create division among the people, but also stifles communal efforts for development and has the potential of eroding the current peace in the region. This needs attention as traditional arrangements are convenient for good governance as well as having a greater potential of rallying people for development.

1.3 Ethnicity

There are six indigenous ethnic groups namely the Dagaaba, Wala, Birifor, Lobi, Chakali and Sissala. Genetically they speak Gur languages (previously referred to as Mole-Dagbani group). The major languages of the region are Dagaare, Sissali, Wale, Birifor and Lobi. Besides these, there are other ethnic groups living within the region. Inheritance is patrilineal except among the Lobi and Birifor who, like the Akan in southern Ghana, have a matrilineal inheritance system. Polygamous marriage is widely practiced mostly by the traditional system and the Islamic religion. The predominant religions are Christianity, Islam and traditional African religion. Traditional life and beliefs, as elsewhere in the country, are more prominent in the rural areas.

1.4 Economy and Living Conditions

The economy of the region is predominantly agrarian, with over 80% of the population engaged in agriculture as peasant farmers which is far above the national average of 41.7%. The average farm size is 2.5 acres per farmer and farming is mostly done on family basis as a daily activity except for rest days. Farming is both on subsistence and commercial basis. The population depends largely on rainfall to cultivate crops like guinea corn, maize, millet, rice, soya beans, groundnuts, cotton, yam, cowpea, and sorghum. Livestock rearing (sheep, cattle, goat, guinea fowl, pig, and rabbit) other agricultural activities undertaken in the region. While maize, guinea corn and millet are cultivated for domestic consumption, cotton, groundnuts and cowpea are mainly produced as cash crops.

Irrigation infrastructure is very poorly developed and so most rural folk do not have any work to engage in during the dry season. Commercial agriculture is gradually gaining grounds through both direct government interventions such the PFJ, RFJ etc. and the private sector business such as the Masara N’arziki Out grower Project. These are done through the Small-Holder Farmer out-grower system. The introduction of modern farming techniques with the provision of fertilizer, improved seeds, tractors and harvesters services have increased yields drastically almost creating a glut in maize.

The region continues to score very high incidence of poverty (70.9%) compared with the National (23.4%) making the region the poorest in Ghana, though endowed with resources and a huge potential for growth (GLSS7 Report).

Poverty is highest among farmers, especially food crop farmers. Nationally, 46% of the poor are from households whose main activity is food crop cultivation. About one-quarter (23.3%) of households in the region have difficulty meeting their basic food needs. This problem is more pronounced among rural households (25.8%) than urban households (14.3%).

Bush fires, tree felling and over grazing by animals are degrading the environment as tree cover and soil fertility levels are fast declining. Many households are unable to produce sufficient food to last from one harvest season to the next and have very limited means of generating income. Natural resources are being over exploited, leading to a cycle of frequent food shortages and poverty.

1.5 Tourism

• Historic / Scientific sites eg. Gwollu slave defence wall, Wa Naa’s palace, Bulenga hanging rocks etc.

• Eco-tourism site eg. Hippo sanctuary, crocodile ponds, etc.

Since tourism offers one of the greatest potential for economic development of the region, conscious efforts must be made to upgrade, renovate and develop these sites.

• Festivals eg. Kobine, Dumba, Kakube, Kalibi, Paragbelle, kurkurbagr etc.

• Historic / Scientific sites eg. Gwollu slave defence wall, Wa Naa’s palace, Bulenga hanging rocks etc.

• Eco-tourism site eg. Hippo sanctuary, crocodile ponds, etc.

Since tourism offers one of the greatest potential for economic development of the region, conscious efforts must be made to upgrade, renovate and develop these sites.

• Festivals eg. Kobine, Dumba, Kakube, Kalibi, Paragbelle, kurkurbagr etc.

• Historic / Scientific sites eg. Gwollu slave defence wall, Wa Naa’s palace, Bulenga hanging rocks etc.

• Eco-tourism site eg. Hippo sanctuary, crocodile ponds, etc.

Since tourism offers one of the greatest potential for economic development of the region, conscious efforts must be made to upgrade, renovate and develop these sites.

Festivals eg. Kobine, Dumba, Kakube, Kalibi, Paragbelle, kurkurbagr etc Festivals eg. Kobine, Dumba, Kakube, Kalibi, Paragbelle, kurkurbagr  Festivals eg. Kobine, Dumba, Kakube, Kalibi, Pa

1.6 Land Tenure System

Lands in this part of the country are communal and land entitlements are generally not a constraint. Perhaps the constraint is how to pull these pockets of lands together in a block form for any meaningful large scale agricultural enterprise. Inadequate attention has been paid to the complexity of rural livelihoods and efforts at reducing poverty have been concentrated on increase in incomes, wealth and poverty alleviation. Donors, in particular, have poured in money, mostly in the form of support to health, agriculture and natural resources in Ghana. Indeed, the equation of ‘rural’ to ‘agricultural’ has been a defining influence of donor support over the past years. It is a widely held view that the poor are small farmers and that agriculture is their only source of livelihood. Investing in agriculture should simultaneously address both growth and equity issues which translate into improved livelihoods.

Small to medium scale businesses are increasingly taking a large proportion of the local economy. The people are engaged in spinning, weaving and smock designing, Mining (Galamsey) etc. They produce musical instruments such as the xylophone and are involved in pottery, blacksmithing and carving. Large scale businesses are almost non-existent. Employment opportunities are therefore very limited propelling a wave of rural-urban movement.

1.7 Housing

The dominant housing type in the region are conventional structures which is 94.3% of the total structures in the region (206,620). Conventional structures comprises buildings, land crates, burnt bricks or mud. The region has 69.8% (152,910) of residential structures use for only residential purposes and 27.9% (61,067) structures use for non-residential only. Houses are constructed mainly with mud, with mostly rectangular rooms. Most of the houses especially in rural communities are built in the form of compounds with gates. The walls are plastered with mud and cement is used as the main material for floors. The rooms are mostly decked with mud, and in certain instances, houses are built up to one storey and roofed with iron sheets, mud or thatch made of grass.

1.8 Culture and Festival

Festivals such as Kobine, Kakube, Zumbeti, Willa, Dumba, Paragbiele, Bagre, Kaka, and Bongo portray the way of life of the people of the region.

1.9 Access to Social and Economic Services

The people are not only isolated from economic opportunities, they also tend to have less access to social services such as health, education and housing.

1.9.1 Access Health

It is estimated that 70% of the people of the region have access to health facilities, but financial and other socio-cultural factors are a hindrance to accessing health services.

The region can boast of 4 Health Training Institutions. These include General Nursing, Community Health Nursing & Midwifery and Health Assistant Training Schools located at Jirapa, Wa, Tumu, Nandom and Lawra respectively.  The infrastructures in most of these Health Training Centres however need great improvement to make them function efficiently.

Recent Demographic Health Survey indicators show that the region contributed significantly to the worsening health status of the country.  Some of the unsatisfactory health indicators as at March, 2015 include:

This unacceptable trend continues to persist and can be attributed to:

• Inadequate number of health personnel.
• Poor access to specialized health care e.g. orthopedic services
• Poor personal hygiene and sanitation.
• Cross-border transfer of diseases by indigenes living outside the region during the dry season.

1.9.2 Access to Education

Educational levels in the region remain very low with an adult literacy rate of 24.4 per cent. The region has a Gender Parity Index of 1.04. The Region has been declining in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) performance over the past 3 years as depicted in the table below.

Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) Pass Rates of the region from 2012 to 2014

The distribution of enrolment across all levels of education among the 10 regions shows that the Upper West Region exhibits the lowest enrolment in crèches and nurseries (4,467); kindergartens (68,394) and primary schools (149,673) in the country during the 2014 /2015 academic year.

source: EMIS 2014/2015 Enrolment into basic schools has shown a progressive increase from 2004 to 2007There has been a steady increase in the number of schools over the years, from pre-school to the senior secondary school level, and this could be attributed to the efforts of the District Assemblies, some NGOs and the government’s policy for the establishment of more pre-schools. Institutions above Senior Secondary School level, special schools as well as technical/vocational schools continue to stagnate in number over the years. The concentration of second cycle schools in general tends to be in the regional and district capitals, and other major settlements. The situation is worrying and the District Assemblies have been advised to improve it.

Retention of teachers across all levels of education has also been problematic as the region records the lowest number of teachers as compared with the other regions in the 2014 /2015 academic year. Regional distribution of primary schools shows that the Ashanti Region exhibits the highest number of primary schools (3,694) while the Upper West Region has the lowest number (640). Enrolment into basic schools has shown a progressive increase from 2004 to 2007. There has been a modest increase in enrolment from fifty one thousand seven hundred and thirty one (51,731) in 2006 to fifty five thousand seven hundred and twenty four (55724) in 2007. This could be attributed to the incentive packages provided by GOG e. g capitation grants and the school feeding programme, and some NGOs support like PlanGhana, UNICEF, Action Aid CRS, etc. Enrolment into basic schools has shown a progressive increase from 2004 to 2007.

Among the 16 regions, Upper West recorded There has been a steady increase in the number of schools over the years, from pre-school to the senior secondary school level, and this could be attributed to the efforts of the District Assemblies, some NGOs and the government’s policy for the establishment of more pre-schools. Institutions above Senior Secondary School level, special schools as well as technical/vocational schools continue to stagnate in number over the years. The concentration of second cycle schools in general tends to be in the regional and district capitals, and other major settlements. The situation is worrying and the District Assemblies have been advised to improve it.

1. a) Enrolment

Enrolment into basic schools has shown a progressive increase from 2004 to 2007. There has been a modest increase in enrolment from fifty one thousand seven hundred and thirty one (51,731) in 2006 to fifty five thousand seven hundred and twenty four (55724) in 2007. This could be attributed to the incentive packages provided by GOG e. g capitation grants and the school feeding programme, and some NGOs support like PlanGhana, UNICEF, Action Aid CRS, etc.

1. b) Gender Parity

Gender Parity Index (i.e. the proportion of males and females going to school) increased from 0.98:1 in 2005 to 1:0.99 in 2007 infavour of the girl child. This implies that more female now enrolled into basic schools than their males counterparts. This can be attributed to the advocacy role played for girl child education by some NGOs and the incentive package for girls in school.

Primary school completion rate also increased steady in favour of girls and this could also be attributed to the incentives in favour of the girl-child by NGOs. Currently fewer boys are now completing school as compared to girls at the basic level, and this may have social consequences for families, especially in marriage.

1. c) School Performance

With the exception of Wa East District, the performance of students in the BECE examinations has been fluctuating. It is only Wa East District that experienced a consistent progress in performance from 49% in 2006 to 63.4% in 2007. The situation is worrying and the DAs have been advised to improve it.

The situation is not the same with regard to the SSCE examination. The regional percentage of passes in more than six (6) subjects increased from 60% in 2004 to 71% 2007. However, the trend could have even been better had it not been for the abysmal performance of the Day schools in the region with percentage of passes in six (6) subjects ranging from 20% to 30%. There has been a consistent increase in the performance of girls qualifying from JHS to SHS from 51.2% in 2005 to 52.2% in 2007. This however is not encouraging when compared to that of their male counterparts with 70.7% in 2005 to 68.1% in 2007.

The over all percentage of students who qualified from JHS to SHS dropped from 62.3% in 2005 to 60.9% in 2007. The possible causes for this trend could be due to the following;

• The on and off strikes experienced in 2007

• Inadequate teachers in critical subject areas like Maths, Science and English

• Inadequate teaching and learning materials in pre-technical and vocational subjects

• Poor supervision as well as inadequate in-service training for teachers

• High pupil/teacher ratio, especially in the Urban areas.

With the possible withdrawal of Catholic Relief Service (CRS) and the World Food Programme (WFP) services to schools, the Region may witness a reduction in enrolment, retention and completion rate if the Ghana School Feeding Programme is not scaled up to cover all the schools currently under CRS and WFP support.

Low enrolment and retention especially amongst females; inadequate classrooms and tutors and general poverty are serious limitations to the development of education in the region.

Some educational institutions and facilities in the region include: a campus of the University for Development Studies, 1 Polytechnic, 3 Colleges of Education, 5 Nursing Institutions, Technical, Senior and Junior High Schools, Primary and Kindergartens. The massive injection of educational infrastructure into the region is making a significant impact. The Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme, Supply of free school uniforms and exercise books has eased the burden on parents significantly.

The priority areas for the development of human capital are: entrepreneurial skills development for women and people with disabilities, ICT education, science, technical/vocational and mathematics education, teacher development and school management.

 1.9.3 Access to Water and Sanitation

As at December 2021, the Region’s water coverage reduced by 0.3 from that of 2020 due to population increase. The Region currently has about 75.77% rural water coverage. However, there are inter-district as well community disparities. The dispersed settlement pattern, Migration during the census enumeration period, some facilities having low yields or are broken down for a long period of the year could also result in some differences on the ground. The prevalence of water-related diseases in some parts of the Region is an indication that water coverage is inadequate.  About 62% of the communities in the Upper West Region have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). However, the practice of OD is still high, with people defecating outside.

1.9.4 Access to Road transport

Access to Road transport is the only means of movement within and outside the region. The introduction of the Mass Metro Transport System in 2006 to some extent eased the transport problems. This has been complemented by the emergence of OA Travel and Tours, but more buses are still needed to ply the numerous routes in the region. Private sector operators are still the dominant transport providers, but a lot has to be done in terms of the quality of transportation services they provideTransport  Services

The Wa Airport is function and receives daily flights through the week. This has eased the burden of travelers from the region to other parts of the country, especially Accra and Kumasi. However, road transport remains the major means of movement within and outside the region. The introduction of the buses meant for long distance travels such as STC, VIP, O&A Travels, Boss Transport etc. have some extent eased the transport problems. This is complemented by the other private transport services, but more buses are still needed to ply the numerous routes in the region. Private sector operators are the dominant transport service providers, but a lot has to be done in terms of the quality of transportation services they provide.

1.9.5 Road Network

Road network in the region is quite good, but the condition leaves much to be desired, especially during the rainy season. Out of the Nine (9) districts, only two (2) are linked by tarred roads to the regional capital (ie Nadowli and Jirapa Districts).

• The Region is also not linked by tarred road to any of her neighbouring regional Capitals (Upper East and Northern regions). However, the only tarred trunk road to the rest of the country is through Bole- Bamboi –Techiman.
• Road network in the region is quite good, but the condition leaves much to be desired, especially during the rainy season. Out of the Nine (9) districts, only two (2) are linked by tarred roads to the regional capital (ie Nadowli and Jirapa Districts).

• The Region is also not linked by tarred road to any of her neighbouring regional Capitals (Upper East and Northern regions). However, the only tarred trunk road to the rest of the country is through Bole- Bamboi –Techiman.
• Road network in the region is quite good, but the condition leaves much to be desired, especially during the rainy season. Out of the Nine (9) districts, only two (2) are linked by tarred roads to the regional capital (ie Nadowli and Jirapa Districts).

• The Region is also not linked by tarred road to any of her neighbouring regional Capitals (Upper East and Northern regions). However, the only tarred trunk road to the rest of the country is through Bole- Bamboi –Techiman.
• Road network in the region is quite good, but the condition leaves much to be desired, especially during the rainy season. Out of the Nine (9) districts, only two (2) are linked by tarred roads to the regional capital (ie Nadowli and Jirapa Districts).

• The Region is also not linked by tarred road to any of her neighbouring regional Capitals (Upper East and Northern regions). However, the only tarred trunk road to the rest of the country is through Bole- Bamboi –Techiman.
• The Region is also not linked by tarred road to any of her neighbouring regional Capitals (Upper East and Northern regions). However, the only tarred trunk road to the rest of the country is through Bole- Bamboi –Techiman.

The region has a total trunk road length of 1,078km that is classified as highways.  Out of this total, only 7.0km is asphalted, about 270.60km is paved (bituminous surfacing), 366.60km is graveled and about 434.20km is under construction. In all, about 800.8km (84%) length of highways in the region is unpaved (gravel surfaced).

On Feeder Roads, total road length is 3155Km.  Out of this, the total length engineered is 1559Km, partially engineered is 728km and the portion not engineered currently remain at 868Km.  Out of the current feeder road network, only 47% can be considered to be good, 28% as fair and 25% poor. Road network in the region is quite good, but the condition leaves much to be desired, especially during the rainy season. Out of the 11 Municipal and District Assemblies in the region, only five (Wa Municipal, Nadowli-Kaleo and Jirapa) capitals are linked by tarred Roads. The region is also linked by tarred road to Tamale and the southern Ghana but yet to be linked to the Upper East by tarred road. This adversely affects the movement of goods and services, and development in general.

Road transport is the only means of movement within and outside the region. The introduction of the Mass Metro Transport System in 2006 to some extent eased the transport problems. This has been complemented by the emergence of OA Travel and Tours, but more buses are still needed to ply the numerous routes in the region. Private sector operators are still the dominant transport providers, but a lot has to be done in terms of the quality of transportation services they provide

1.9.5 Access to Telecommunication and Mobile Network

There has been quite a significant improvement in telecommunication services in the region. Extensions have been made to all districts by the mobile phone service providers (MTN, Vodafone, and Airtel-TiGo). There are as many as 21 radio stations effectively operating in the region. These include Radio Progress, Radio Upper West, WFM, Sungmali FM, Radio FREED, Radio RADFORD, Bugli FM, Radio Waa, Westlink Fm etc.

ICT centers established by government exist in all the district capitals; however, with the exception of the center in Wa, none of the others is operational. Currently private ICT centres have been opened in the district capitals. The situation of internet services at the district level however leaves much to be desired. The concept of the opening of ICT centers at all the districts must be given serious attention to ensure accelerated growth in this global world.

The advent of digital broadcasting companies such as DSTV, Multi-TV etc has helped improved media access in the region.

1.9.6 Access to Electricity

The region has 641 communities linked to the National Electricity Grid system under SHEP project. This has generally improved the coverage in most districts in the region. But the very low coverage in Wa East (19.71%), Wa West (31.58%) and Nandom (46.43%) shot down the regional electricity coverage to 56.23% as depicted in the table in the next slide. These districts have higher number of communities due to their disperse settlement pattern.  They require urgent attention.

The region has potentials in the development of solar energy. Investors are welcome to explore a possible development under the PPP arrangement.

16    General Development Challenges

• The poor infrastructural base of the region adversely affects regional development. The poor condition of the roads more or less isolates the region from the rest of the country, few people and NGOs want to work in the region and the inadequate socio-economic infrastructure becomes a major disincentive to production. Electricity coverage is also low. Communication network is equally poor.

• The unfavorable weather condition is a major contributing factor to crop failure, food insecurity and the high out migration. As such a lot of interventions including irrigational facilities are needed for dry season farming in order to ensure food security and reduce the number of out migration from the region.
• There is general poverty in the region. This current situation is not acceptable and much has to be done to address the problems in order to discourage people from moving out of the region.
• There is inadequate health and educational service delivery in the region, due to lack of key personnel in critical areas in Health and Education such as Mathematics, English and Science teachers as well as inadequate teaching and learning materials in technical and vocational subjects.
• High Intra-regional migration which puts pressure on services within the Eastern Corridor.
• There has been very little intervention in the sanitation sector with the few NGOs interventions also been uncoordinated and skewed to a few districts. The region still requires more partners in this sector to complement the efforts of those that are already in the region.
• Weak private sector
• Due to floods and dry spells, there is a general short fall in agricultural production. Planting materials during the next planting season could also pose a problem.
• Land tenure system does not promote long term development as many landlords will not sell lands for long term agricultural investments like the planting of fruit trees.

Major Potential for Growth and Development

• Presence of vast arable lands particularly those to the Eastern corridor of the region which are very fertile for the cultivation of rice, maize, soya bean amongst others. The region ranks high in Maize, Sorghum, Groundnuts, Cowpea and Soya Beans production.
• Dams, dugouts, valleys and the black Volta river and its tributaries with vast irrigable land present a huge potential for all year round farming
• Vast lands in the eastern and south eastern corridor offer great potentials for commercial farming.
• A gentle sloping topography which can facilitate agriculture and all kinds of physical development e.g. road and dam construction, housing development, laying of pipe lines.
• Clay, Gold and rock deposits that can promote housing development and other small-scale industries.
• Vast grasslands and tropical climate to support small ruminant and livestock production.
• The region has a competitive advantage in cotton, cashew, sheanut and mango production
• Effective traditional leadership system which can be harnessed with the vibrant social groups for rural development.
• The Black Volta to the West and the Sissili to the East with their extended network of tributaries, that can be developed for small scale irrigation, animal and human consumption and fishing.
• Good road network and airstrip to facilitate quick and easy carting of goods and services to southern sector of Ghana.
• The broad based youthful population combined with the significant proportion of the people who fall within the economically active group that can provide sufficient labour for the present and the future.
• Abundant scenic areas and other places of aesthetic, beautiful, mythical or historical significance, which can be developed as tourist centers as well as the inherent hospitality and rich cultural heritage of the people that can promote tourism.
• Good sunlight in the region with a huge potential for harvesting solar energy for electricity
• Geographical location of region has good implications for cross border trade

Purpose of M&E

Three (3) Monitoring exercise i.e. Frist, Second and third quarter were undertaken under the year of review. This was an appropriate time for the submission of reports and other deliverables per the mandate of the MMDAs. The period was also adequate enough for monitoring teams to do due diligence and to make proper arrangements with the management of the various MMDAs to make the exercise effective. The office of the RCC provided some minimal logistics such as fuel to facilitate the movement of the monitoring teams to various districts to carry out the exercise.