NRCC commits to ensure NGID project succeeds in Northern Region

The Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) has reinforced its commitment in ensuring that the Northern Ghana Integrated Development (NGID) project, engineered by ActionAid with funding from the European Union succeeds in the Northern Region of Ghana.

The Project which began in 2019 and ends in 2023, aims to reduce rural poverty by promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, thus contributing to the green economy, creating opportunities for income generation within the agricultural value chain, and enhancing access to social protection services.

As part of the project interventions, a ceremony was organized to present small grants to Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) on Thursday, 15th April 2021 at Tamale.

The Deputy Director II of the NRCC, Madam Gyimah Sharifa, who spoke on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu, said the initiative has come at an opportune time when poverty among women and children in the Region is worsening, less attention been paid to Social-Protection and of course the impact of Climate Change is biting harder.

“It is against this background that the NRCC commits to ensure we work together for the success of the project, the ceremony today is a manifestation of the innovative approach adopted to achieve the project objectives,” she said.

She added that the importance of a project that focuses on reducing poverty through economic development, adoption of environmentally-sustainable agriculture and addressing issues of social protection cannot be overemphasized.

Madam Gyimah Sharifa expressed gratitude to ActionAid Ghana for their continuous recognition of the role of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council in the overall development of the Region and beyond.

The Grants Ceremony

A total of 15 local CSOs will receive a total grant of €60,000 with each CSO receiving not more than €4,000.

John Nkaw, Head of Programmes, Campaigns and Innovation, ActionAid Ghana, in his speech said, the provision of the financial assistance to the local CSOs is geared towards strengthening them to become drivers of innovation in research-based climate-resilient sustainable agriculture, related social enterprises, and responsive social protection.

“It goes without saying that we hope this money will be put to great use and that all beneficiary CSOs will use the funds appropriately and as clearly stipulated in the concept notes submitted for evaluation.

“With these small grants, I sincerely hope that the beneficiary CSOs will be able to scale up their activities and intensify their campaigns for climate resilient agriculture and advocacy for decent work and access to social protection for vulnerable groups of people,” he said.

He expressed his sincerest gratitude to the European Union for funding the Project, as well as recognised the immerse support the Project has received so far from district, regional and national level stakeholders.