A total of 582 projects are expected to be executed under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project in 48 Districts across the Upper East Region, Northern, Upper West, North East, Savannah and Oti Regions.

Out of the number, the Upper East Region would receive its share of 270 projects, Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Regional Minister said.

He said the projects, which would be spread across the 15 Municipalities and Districts in the Region, would benefit various sectors including the education and health sectors.

Mr Yakubu said the 270 projects would be targeted towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The projects will consider the needs of the people. By next week, we will take possession of the sites and that means that construction is going to start in the first week of November,” he said.

Mr Yakubu said this when he presented five Toyota Hilux double cabin pick-up vehicles to the SOCO Project Zonal Office in Bolgatanga on behalf of Daniel Botwe, the Minister for Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development for monitoring of the 270 projects.

The SOCO project is implemented by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Four of the vehicles would be used by the Zonal Office while one would be used by the Regional Coordinating Council for monitoring and evaluation of project activities in the Region.

Apart from the vehicles, Mr Yakubu also presented 47 laptops and 132 computer tablets to the 15 Municipal and District Assemblies in the Region, for data information management by Assembly officials and the project community facilitators.

Mr Samuel Larbi Agyarko, the SOCO Project Zonal Coordinator for the Upper East and North East Regions who received the vehicles and computers, thanked Mr Yakubu and Mr Botwe for the logistics and said they would be put to good use.

The SOCO project is a multi-country US$450 million credit facility from the World Bank implemented in Ghana, Cote d’ Ivoire, Togo and Benin.

The Government of Ghana was allocated US$ 150 million out of the total amount.

The project would provide support to the Northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries which suffer instabilities owing to food insecurity, climate change, conflict and violence. It was launched in Bolgatanga by the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in November