The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Yakubu, has said the Local Economic Development (LED), a component of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project, will transform the local economy.
He described LED as a “game changer” and appealed to the implementers to give it their best, explaining that it would reduce poverty to the barest minimum.
The Minister said this at a three-day orientation for 21 key staff from the 15 Municipal and District Assemblies from the North East and Upper East Regions in Bolgatanga.
He noted that though the project is yet to assume full implementation as physical infrastructures are being constructed, LED is already impacting the lives of the people.
He added that the orientation sought to provide deeper insight into the SOCO processes and arrangement for the smooth implementation of LED.
The Minister said, “It is meant to facilitate the training for validated Livelihood Empowerment Group and Village Savings and Loans Associations on beneficiary communities of the two regions.”
Giving a background to the LED project, Mrs Cedonia Dere, a Local Economic Development Specialist, said it aims to create short and long-term resilient economic resources through strategic investment in targeted markets like livestock.
She said the project would also rehabilitate existing rural markets and devise economic activities to generate local employment and income.
Mrs Dere added that the government deplored LED to create the enabling environment to engage all stakeholders either in the production or the value chain and the consumers to improve income at the local level.
She urged the indigenes to form what she termed Common Interest Groups like farmer-based organizations, food processing, transport owners and village savings, among others, to enable them to access funds from LED to grow their investments.
Bala Ali, ISD
