Regional Development Strategy underway in Wa

Major national and international stakeholders are attending a three-day forum in Wa with the purpose of crafting a Regional Development Strategy (RDS), to guide the development agenda of the Upper-West Region.

The document, when finally put together, is expected to guide major stakeholders in the development of the region, as well as provide the necessary assistance that would enable them to effectively engage the region’s development partners.

Addressing the forum, Dr. Ephraim Avea Nsoh,  Upper -West Regional Minister commended the stakeholders for not only showing greater interest, but also committing their resources towards a successful crafting of the document.

He was particularly grateful to GIZ – a German Development Co-operation and UNICEF, for committing 136,000.00 euros and 59,000.00 dollars respectively to support the crafting of the document, among other activities.

Dr. Nsoh also acknowledged Star-Ghana for its support, and pointed out that the Development Strategy would provide more visible opportunities that people of the region would see, appreciate and take advantage of, hence, eroding the idea that contracts were the only opportunities available to them.

The Regional Minister appealed to the participants to water down arguments, and focus on the main issues since they had only three days to come out with a workable document.

Mr. Simon Manu, GIZ Senior Advisor, commended the Regional Minister for his passion and commitment to develop the region through the hatching of brilliant development ideas, worth supporting by donor organizations.

According to him, many Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country were not economically viable on their own.

He added that the Regional Development plan would also provide the Assemblies with the guidelines on how to become economically viable on their own.

Professor David Millar, former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS) urged the Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) present to ensure that at the end of the forum they would choose at least one critical area which would be fully implemented in their respective districts.

He said by doing so, they would be implementing 11 critical areas and that by the end of the next three years, the purpose for crafting the Regional Strategic Development Plan would have been significantly met.