𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝟮 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗝𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘-𝗨𝗣: 𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗗𝗔 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘

Hon.Takoro made the commendation on Thursday, 10th September 2026, when he delivered remarks on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John, at the close-up event of the MEDA GROW2 Project held at the Modern City Hotel in Tamale.

The event brought together representatives of Global Affairs Canada, MEDA-West and Central Africa, the Department of Agriculture, MMDAs, ARB Apex Bank, beneficiaries, private-sector actors, community leaders and other stakeholders to reflect on the achievements and impact of the project.

Speaking on behalf of the Regional Minister, the Mayor described the GROW2 Project as an important intervention that had created inclusive finance and investment opportunities for women entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers, while contributing to their socio-economic empowerment and the broader growth of the agricultural sector.

He noted that agriculture remained a crucial pillar of Ghana’s economy and a major source of livelihood for many people in Northern Ghana, particularly women. However, women farmers continued to face challenges including limited access to productive inputs, affordable credit, inadequate infrastructure, weak markets and socio-cultural barriers that constrained their economic opportunities.

According to Hon.Takoro, the GROW2 Project sought to address some of these challenges by providing women farmers and entrepreneurs with the resources, financial opportunities, technologies and support required to improve their productivity, businesses and livelihoods.

He highlighted the construction of 25 dry-season mechanised solar irrigation borehole systems as one of the notable interventions, explaining that the facilities had supported year-round vegetable production and helped reduce farmers’ dependence on rainfall for agricultural activities.

The Mayor further mentioned the project’s support for access to finance for women smallholder farmers and MSMEs, provision of improved seeds and production technologies, upgrading of processing equipment and financing of motorised tricycles to facilitate the transportation of farm produce.

He said the interventions had the potential to improve productivity, strengthen agricultural value chains, create employment and increase household incomes, particularly for women and other beneficiaries who depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods.

On behalf of the Chiefs and people of the Northern Region, Hon.Takoro expressed sincere appreciation to Global Affairs Canada and its partners for making the necessary resources available for the implementation of the project. He described the initiative as another demonstration of Global Affairs Canada’s commitment to empowering women and promoting economic and social development.

The Mayor also observed that the implementation approach of the GROW2 Project complemented the Government of Ghana’s flagship agricultural initiatives, including the Feed Ghana Programme, Feed the Industry Programme and Agriculture Investment and Infrastructure programmes, which seek to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmers’ incomes, create jobs and provide raw materials for industry.

He stressed that as GROW2 comes to an end, stakeholders must recognise that development is a continuous process and therefore work collectively to sustain the gains achieved under the project.

Hon.Takoro urged women in savings and loans groups, MSMEs, MMDAs, community leaders and private-sector actors to continue nurturing the structures, networks and opportunities established through GROW2 and maintain the partnerships and systems developed to serve their communities.

He explained that sustaining the project’s achievements would not only protect the investments already made but would also demonstrate to development partners that beneficiaries and local institutions were committed to maintaining development interventions beyond their implementation periods.

The Mayor further noted that such commitment could strengthen the confidence of development partners and encourage continued support for initiatives aimed at empowering women, transforming agriculture, creating employment and improving livelihoods across Northern Ghana.

Hon.Takoro commended the GROW2 Project lead and staff, implementing partners, government agencies, private-sector actors, traditional authorities, opinion leaders and beneficiaries for their commitment, hard work, collaboration and resilience throughout the implementation period.

He expressed optimism that the knowledge, skills, infrastructure, financial systems, partnerships and business networks established through GROW2 would continue to benefit women entrepreneurs and farmers and contribute to sustainable agricultural and socio-economic development in the Northern Region.