Tamale, July 15, GNA – The Northern Development Authority (NDA) has engaged some key investors in the northern part of the country to see how together, they can identify areas of mutual interest in their quest to transform the lives of people in the five regions of the north.
It was also to look at some of the challenges and opportunities for business development and growth, and to enable the NDA to see how it could help facilitate private sector interventions and development in the area.
The engagement session, held in Tamale, also formed part of the planning process to finalise and consolidate the NDA’s Medium Term Development Strategy, which would be a guiding principle for development interventions within the northern sector of the country.
Mr Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of NDA, who spoke during the meeting, said it was in line with the NDA’s mandate to bridge the gap between the north and the south in terms of social and economic development.
He added: “So, the private sector is key tool for achieving this objective” hence the engagement with the investors for their inputs to feed into the NDA’s Medium Term Development Strategy to guide development initiatives in the area.
During the meeting, NDA presented its catalytic projects, which included plans to redevelop Tamale into a major business city, a port at Buipe, agricultural mechanisation centres to support the agricultural sector amongst others, and its roles in facilitating private sector investments in the area.
There was also a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre on “Situation of the Private Sector in Northern Ghana: Opportunities and Challenges”.
Key investors that attended the meeting included Hatoum Trading Company, L.K Company Limited, K.I Ghana Limited, Wemah, Divine Braiz, Zoomlion Ghana Limited amongst others.
Mr Abdul-Rahman urged the investors to consider the NDA’s catalytic projects and invest in those areas for the benefit of all.
Dr Sulemana Abudulai, Board Chairman of NDA said the north had comparative advantage in many sectors adding specific projects in the area must be supported to thrive and sustain production and job creation.
Some of the investors, who took part in the meeting, expressed need for the establishment of land banks for investors, and strategies to enhance agricultural water security to support irrigation farming.
They also lauded the NDA for its efforts to improve operations of businesses as well as drive investment to the area saying this would help to sustain development in the area while creating jobs for the people.
Sara Hatoum, Team Leader, Business Development and Strategy at Hatoum Trading Company said the NDA’s efforts to facilitate the smooth entry of the private sector to the five regions in the north was reassuring to investors that state institutions were willing to support them to succeed.
Mr Victor Boakye Yiadom, General Manager of Divine Braiz Ghana Limited, a rice processing firm, said the NDA’s efforts would help address any challenges that investors might encounter in their quest to operate in the area.
GNA