World Bank Vice President hails SOCO Project as a “Game Changer”
The Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion Project (SOCO) has been described as a “game changer” by the Vice-President of the World Bank for West and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana.
During a site visit to project locations in northern Ghana on Saturday, January 11, 2025, Mr Diagana expressed satisfaction with the tangible impact of the initiative on poor rural communities.
“SOCO is a game changer,” he said, promising expedited release of funds to sustain the project and extend its reach to additional beneficiary communities.
The $450 million project, sponsored by the World Bank, spans four countries – Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire – and aims to promote social cohesion, improve livelihoods, and drive economic development.
Empowering local economies
Mr Diagana visited the Nangbag-Yapala Livestock Market in the Sagnarigu Municipality, a facility developed under SOCO. Operational since November 2024, the market features a modern kraal, holding bay, loading ramps, toilets, and offices for a veterinary officer, revenue collector, and chief butcher.
The market has become an economic hub, generating about GHS400,000 in cattle sales and GHS100,000 in small ruminant sales each Sunday, according to the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development.
“I am very satisfied. I have seen concrete activities that have been funded by the project. I am very impressed to see that there is a community at large that is a beneficiary of the project – that is the essence of the project. They consider it their project – so there is this sense of community-ownership which is critical,” Mr Diagana remarked.
He praised the community-driven approach, saying, “I also understand that this is a need that was expressed by the community themselves. So, it means that we have been responsive to their needs. This is what this type of project is supposed to do.”
Livelihood transformations
Other projects inspected included the Daboya Smock Weavers Association and the Shishagu Soap Makers’ Group. The latter, comprising 13 women and two men, symbolises hope for their community, with investments fostering social cohesion and improving livelihoods.
Expanding Impact
The growing demand from non-beneficiary communities to be included in the SOCO initiative highlights its success. “The numerous requests for the extension of the project to non-beneficiary communities is a sign of the successes of the SOCO project,” Mr Diagana noted, adding that the World Bank would continue its support.
He encouraged governments in Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire to ensure the project’s sustainability.
Achievements to date
Samuel Seth Passah, Director for Local Governance and Decentralisation, highlighted the project’s progress since its implementation two years ago.
“Within two years of the project’s effectiveness date, we have begun to see its impact on the ground across 48 districts, 217 clusters, covering 1,700 communities, representing a population of 1.5 million. The project has also disbursed US$60 million (40%) out of the total US$150 million in the last two years,” he stated.
Addressing minority participation
The SOCO Project Coordinator Elizabeth Ohenewah Agyei noted challenges in engaging minority groups but said continuous engagement was yielding results.
“Going forward, we should see how others who are looking forward to be beneficiaries are attended to. One of the things that we also look forward to is to be very specific to being able to measure the changes that are occurring,” she said.