Representatives from research institutions, ministries, departments and agencies in Ghana and other countries have converged on Accra to discuss various projects geared towards fostering economic diversification, digital transformation, and climate resilience.
They included representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Water Research Institute, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and would receive funding to undertake 20 projects under the Interreg MAC project, an initiative to foster development in different areas of collaboration between selected West African countries and regions in the Macaronesian area, which includes the Canary Islands.
The representatives, together with their European Union (EU) counterparts, presented their co-operation at the programme as part of the 20 projects which cover areas such as sustainable management of aquatic farms, developing digital technology for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), addressing waste water management in the Gulf of Guinea and recovering natural areas critical to biodiversity.
Project
The Interreg MAC project focuses on cooperation between regions in the Macaronesian area (Madeira, Azores, and the Canary Islands) and West Africa, particularly in the areas of migration, governance, and socio-economic development, and it is aimed at strengthening political, institutional, and economic relations between participating European and African countries.
Ghana is part of the seven African partner countries, including Mauritania, Cape Verde, Senegal, Ivory Coast, São Tomé and Principe and the Gambia, along the Madeira, the Azores, and the Canary Islands, to receive the € 129 million.
Impact
Speaking at the event last Tuesday in Accra, the Ambassador of Spain to Ghana, Angel Lossada, said the project had been designed to positively impact the lives of people in the Madeira, Azores, the Canary Islands areas and West Africa.
He expressed the hope that with the 20 approved projects, the Ghanaian representatives would work collectively with their EU partners to ensure their smooth implementation.
The Regional Director for European Affairs of Madeira, Fernanda Cardoso, emphasised the importance of collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the Interreg MAC co-operation area.
Ms Cardoso said previous co-operation initiatives had generated valuable resources, particularly in climate resilience, that could be leveraged for new projects.
The Head, European Union/Europe/Americas Unit at the Ministry of Finance, Ebenezer Nortey, for his part, described the project as an instrument meant to foster sustainable development through research, innovation, technology, climate action, green economy, good governance, and improved mobility and migration.
He added that the session would provide an opportunity to understand the scope and objectives of the 20 projects and engage with implementing partners to forge connections, explore ways to maximise their benefits for Ghana, and prepare collaboratively for the next call for proposals.
