The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) has distributed 9,000 50-kilogramme bags of NPK fertiliser and 1,000 bags of urea to selected farmers across the metropolis as part of efforts to increase agricultural productivity and strengthen food security.
Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Adam Abubakari Takoro, disclosed this during his sessional address at the Second Ordinary Meeting of the Third Session of the Ninth Assembly in Tamale.
He said agriculture remains an important driver of Ghana’s national and local economies, stressing the need for sustained investment to make the sector more attractive, particularly to young people.
According to Mr Takoro, the fertiliser distribution forms part of the Assembly’s interventions to support farmers, improve productivity and strengthen food production within the metropolis.
Support for poultry and aquaculture
The Chief Executive also disclosed that the Assembly would soon receive and distribute birds to selected households under the government’s Nkokonkiti initiative.
He further announced that Tamale had been selected as one of four Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Northern Region to participate in an aquaculture pilot project being implemented by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.
Under the programme, about 40 beneficiaries from the Tamale South and Tamale Central constituencies have been selected to undergo training, form cooperatives and receive support to establish fish farms.
The initiative is expected to diversify livelihoods and create additional economic opportunities for beneficiaries while contributing to local food production.
Tamale targets 150,000 trees
Mr Takoro said the Assembly was also implementing measures to improve the metropolis’s environmental resilience and address the effects of climate change.
Under the government’s Tree for Life initiative, the Assembly has set a target of planting 150,000 trees to help transform Tamale into a cleaner, greener and more climate-resilient city.
He noted that the Northern Region is expected to contribute approximately 1.2 million trees towards the national target of 30 million trees under the programme.
The Assembly, in partnership with the Dibeni Premier Group, has also launched the “Shade Dagbang Project”, aimed at increasing tree cover along major roads in the metropolis.
Mr Takoro said 176 palm trees had already been planted along selected principal roads as part of the project.
Climate resilience and sanitation
The Assembly is also implementing the Reset Tamale Initiative in collaboration with PAMEPI Women in Technology Ghana.
The initiative focuses on climate resilience, water and sanitation, as well as improving educational infrastructure within the metropolis.
On sanitation, Mr Takoro identified waste generation, evacuation and disposal as major challenges facing Tamale.
He urged Assembly Members to prioritise the organisation of monthly National Sanitation Days within their electoral areas to improve environmental cleanliness and public participation in sanitation activities.
Social protection and infrastructure projects
Mr Takoro said the Assembly would continue strengthening social protection programmes, including support for persons with disabilities and beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.
He also highlighted several ongoing development projects, including the construction of a 20-bed male ward at the West Hospital, valued at GH¢1,812,087.24.
The Chief Executive called for greater collaboration among stakeholders to accelerate development and improve the delivery of essential services across the Tamale Metropolis.
The Assembly’s interventions in agriculture, aquaculture, environmental sustainability and social protection form part of broader efforts to improve livelihoods, strengthen food security and build a more resilient Tamale.
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