The UK International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell will visit Ghana this week to deepen the relationship between Ghana and the UK, and to see first-hand the impact UK aid’s programme is having on the poorest people in Ghana. He will launch the new UK aid supported Millennium Village in Northern Ghana with H.E. President Mahama, take part in a debate on ‘Ghana: the next 10 years’ broadcast live on CITI FM, and meet Ghanaian and British business leaders. On Tuesday morning Andrew Mitchell will meet with the President to discuss the upcoming election, the private sector, and the close UK and Government of Ghana partnership. He will then travel north to West Mamprusi and Builsa districts to launch, with the President, the new Millennium Village that is being implemented in collaboration with the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). The Millennium Village will substantially improve the lives of up to 30,000 people in some of the poorest, most remote areas of Northern Ghana, providing health and education services, improved water supply and sanitation, agricultural inputs and assistance, access to credit, improved roads, phone and internet services, and electricity supply. Based upon initial estimates, expected results include, for example, 16,500 individuals in farming households will receive agricultural support, 1,750 more children will attend school, and 11,000 more people will have access to improved sanitation facilities. The project is being independently evaluated. The Minister will then meet secondary school girls supported by CAMFED – a charity in Northern Ghana which provides long term support to keep girls in education. By working with CAMFED and the Ghana Education Service, UK aid will support 70,000 girls to stay in secondary school by 2015. On Wednesday from 10:00-11:30, Andrew Mitchell will take part in a high profile debate broadcast live on CITI FM on the topic of “Ghana - the next 10 years: growth, jobs, democracy, oil and aid”. The debate will be a chance to assess Ghana’s successes, and the challenges that remain as it looks towards a future without aid. Hosted by Bernard Avle, listeners and a live audience will be able to ask questions of the panellists who include: Patrick Awuah (Founder, Asheshi University), Tony Oteng-Gyasi (Founder, Tropical Cables), Adwoa Kwateng-Kluvitse (Country Director, ActionAid), and Estelle Akofio-Sowah (Country Manager, Google Ghana). Andrew Mitchell will also meet the Finance Minister, Minister for Trade and Industry, representatives from the Public Accounts Committee and the Leader of the Opposition on Wednesday. On his final day Andrew Mitchell will visit Blue Skies, a successful British business which employs over 1,500 people in Ghana, and exports cut-fruit to European supermarkets. He will also tour ‘Right to Dream’ – a sports, education and leadership academy, which has produced several professional footballers, and has been preparing the Ghanaian Paralympic squad. UK aid’s programme in Ghana is rising from £80 million (GH¢ 240 million) in 2011 to £100 million (GH¢ 300 million) in 2015. Some of the results that this will help to achieve are distributing 4.75 million mosquito nets, supporting 140,000 children in basic education and keeping 70,000 girls in secondary school, helping 50,000 producers to access business services, assisting 100,000 of the poorest people through cash transfers, and supporting 400,000 people with family planning.