𝗡𝗥𝗖𝗖 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗦 𝗦𝗜𝗙 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗠𝗘

The assurance was given by the Acting Chief Director of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, when he received the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Social Investment Fund (SIF), Puo-ire Prosper, and his team at the NRCC on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister.

The delegation included officials from the Social Investment Fund and the Northern Development Authority (NDA).

The meeting was to brief the Northern Regional Minister on the newly introduced GWYESCO Programme ahead of a stakeholder engagement scheduled to take place in Tamale on Monday, 14 September 2026.

Briefing the Acting Chief Director, the Deputy CEO of SIF, Puo-ire Prosper, explained that GWYESCO was a four-year Results-Based Financing (RBF) programme to be implemented from 2026 to 2029.

He indicated that the programme was financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and would be implemented by the Social Investment Fund under the Ministry of Finance.

According to him, GWYESCO had been designed to address some of the socio-economic challenges confronting women and young people by creating opportunities that would enable them to become economically empowered, resilient and self-reliant.

He explained that the programme would focus on key areas including economic inclusion, job creation, entrepreneurship, access to finance, skills development and the promotion of social cohesion.

Mr. Prosper noted that the programme was expected to contribute significantly to improving the living conditions of women and youth while providing them with the necessary skills, resources and opportunities to participate meaningfully in economic activities.

He stressed that the success of the programme would depend largely on effective collaboration among the various stakeholders at the national, regional, district and community levels.

The Deputy CEO therefore called for the support and active participation of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), traditional authorities, civil society organisations, development partners and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the programme.

He said the stakeholder engagement would provide an important platform for key actors to understand the objectives, implementation arrangements and expected outcomes of GWYESCO, as well as identify areas where collaboration could be strengthened.

Responding, the Acting Chief Director of the NRCC, Mr. Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, warmly welcomed the Deputy CEO and his delegation and expressed appreciation to the Social Investment Fund and its partners for introducing an initiative aimed at improving the socio-economic wellbeing of women and youth.

Speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, he said the programme came at an important time when there was a need to expand opportunities for young people and women to acquire skills, establish businesses, access financial support and contribute to the development of their communities.

Mr. Abudu assured the SIF delegation of the full commitment of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council to support the successful implementation of the GWYESCO Programme in the region.

He emphasised that the Council was prepared to work closely with SIF and other implementing partners to facilitate effective coordination, stakeholder participation and the achievement of the programme’s intended objectives.

The Acting Chief Director further called on all stakeholders to take ownership of the programme and commit themselves to its effective implementation. He urged stakeholders to ensure that the resources and opportunities provided under the programme translated into tangible results for the intended beneficiaries.

Mr. Abudu stressed the need for productivity, accountability and effective coordination in the implementation process, noting that the ultimate measure of the programme’s success should be its impact on the lives of women, youth and vulnerable communities across the region.

He said empowering women and young people through employment, entrepreneurship, skills development and access to finance would not only improve household livelihoods but also contribute to poverty reduction, social stability and sustainable economic development.

The Acting Chief Director expressed optimism that through strong collaboration among stakeholders, GWYESCO would achieve its objectives and make a meaningful contribution to improving livelihoods in the Northern Region and Ghana as a whole.

The stakeholder engagement scheduled for 14 September 2026 is expected to bring together key stakeholders to deliberate on the programme and explore effective strategies for its implementation in the region.