The Mayor of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly in the Northern region, Adam Abubakari Takoro, has outlined plans covering infrastructure, agriculture, education, and youth employment as part of efforts to improve transparency and strengthen public participation in governance.

Speaking at the Assembly’s 2026 Town Hall Meeting on May 10, Mr Takoro said the engagement was the first of its kind in the metropolis under President John Dramani Mahama’s resetting agenda and the government’s accountability series programme.

He said the initiative was designed to enhance accountability, deepen citizen engagement, and enable residents to track government projects and policies within their communities. It also seeks to bring chiefs, opinion leaders, religious leaders, and grassroots groups into local decision-making processes.

“Tamale remains the only metropolitan assembly in Ghana’s five northern regions and serves as a commercial and administrative hub,” he said, adding that its strategic location offers significant opportunities for trade and agriculture, linking businesses in the north to markets in Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and Togo.

He further noted that the metropolis has an estimated population of over 409,000, most of whom live in urban areas.

Security and revenue challenges

The Mayor acknowledged that the Assembly has inherited challenges such as drug abuse, petty theft, and occasional local tensions. However, he said collaboration between the Assembly, the Regional Security Council, traditional authorities, and religious leaders has helped restore calm in the area.

He commended police anti-drug operations, including the Black Maria and Red Maria task forces, for helping to reduce drug-related activities.

On revenue generation, Mr Takoro said the Assembly aims to mobilise more than GH¢5.7 million internally in 2026. He disclosed that GH¢1.36 million had been collected by the end of the first quarter, representing about 23 percent of the target.

He noted that property rate collection remained one of the weakest areas and said the Assembly would divide its 41 electoral areas into collection zones. This, he explained, would be followed by a month-long public education campaign before intensified enforcement begins in June 2026.

He also stated that the Assembly received more than GH¢6.2 million from the District Assemblies Common Fund for the fourth quarter of 2025, along with allocations for persons with disabilities, HIV/AIDS programmes, and MP-led projects. Additionally, it is awaiting over GH¢8.2 million under the Responsiveness Factor Grant, based on its 2024 performance assessment.

Projects in education, health, and agriculture

Mr Takoro outlined ongoing education projects, including classroom blocks at Dalogyili, Gumbihini, and Lamashegu, as well as the supply of desks and chairs to schools. He also commended Members of Parliament for supporting over 1,800 BECE candidates with extra classes, transport allowances, and mathematical sets.

In the health sector, he said support to the Tamale Teaching Hospital has improved healthcare delivery in the northern regions, while new CHPS compounds have been completed at Kudula and Dohinayili.

Under the Feed Ghana Programme and the Input and Mechanisation Support initiative, more than 8,300 bags of fertiliser were distributed to farmers. An additional 1,000 bags were supplied through the Global Agricultural and Food Security Programme across 27 communities.

He added that the agriculture department trained 1,000 farmers in improved farming practices, while over 12,000 guinea fowl chicks and 755 cockerels were distributed to boost poultry production. Persons with disabilities were also included in the support schemes.

Markets and employment

The Mayor said the Assembly is constructing 128 lockable market stores at Aboabo and Lamashegu through public-private partnerships. He added that President Mahama has also cut the sod for a new 24-hour economy market at Kukuo, which is expected to be completed within 24 months. The facility will include stalls, warehouses, cold rooms, a clinic, police post, and fire station.

He further revealed that "more than 1,300 young people have secured jobs under various Youth Employment Agency modules in the police, fire, ambulance, and prisons services, as well as in Arabic teaching and skills training."

Additionally, "the Ghana Enterprise Agency, Mastercard Foundation, and World Bank have supported hundreds of beneficiaries with entrepreneurship and vocational training. A further 329 residents have been trained in soap making, guinea fowl rearing, and groundnut processing under the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project."

Mr Takoro reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to accountability and inclusive governance, urging residents and stakeholders to support ongoing efforts to transform the metropolis.