By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu, GNA
Nalerigu (NE/R), Oct. 27, GNA – Ghana and Togo have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cross-border cooperation to promote social cohesion and build resilient communities to address emerging security threats to improve livelihoods.
The commitment was expressed at a Ghana-Togo Joint Regional Working Session under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project, held in Nalerigu.
The session brought together officials from the two countries to share experiences, review project implementation, identify challenges and develop practical strategies to improve interventions in communities along their common borders.
Speaking at the session, Mr Ibrahim Tia, the North East Regional Minister, said the historical, cultural, social and economic ties between Ghana and Togo provided a strong foundation for cooperation towards peace, security and sustainable development.
He, however, warned that instability in the Sahel, violent extremism, cross-border crime, illicit arms trafficking and population displacement posed growing threats to communities across the Gulf of Guinea region.
“We must recognize that insecurity knows no national boundaries,” he said, adding that developments in one country could have far-reaching consequences for neighbouring countries, affecting livelihoods, trade, public safety and stability.
Mr Tia said Ghana’s relative peace and stability should not be taken for granted, and stressed the need for deliberate efforts, stronger partnerships and collective action to address the conditions that made communities vulnerable to conflict and insecurity.
He said the SOCO Project, with financial support from the World Bank, was being implemented by Ghana, Togo, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen social cohesion, enhance socioeconomic and climate resilience, and reduce the risks of fragility, conflict and violence.
In Ghana, he said, the project covered 48 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies across six beneficiary regions, namely: Oti, Savannah, Upper West, Upper East, Northern and North East.
Interventions under the project included investments in education, healthcare, market structures, water systems and livelihood activities, with particular attention to expand economic opportunities for women and young people.
The Minister observed that poverty, unemployment, social exclusion and competition over limited resources could create grievances and tensions that criminal and extremist groups might exploit.
He, therefore, emphasized that development interventions must go beyond infrastructure provision to empower communities, strengthen local institutions, promote inclusion and enable residents to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their lives.
The working session, organized under the project’s third component on regional coordination dialogue platforms, was expected to facilitate knowledge-sharing, improve coordination and strengthen joint responses to challenges affecting border communities.
Mr Tia urged participants to assess project implementation critically, share lessons and identify practical measures to improve delivery in both countries.
He said the success of the project should not be measured solely by the number of completed facilities but also by the quality of services delivered, livelihoods improved, trust built among communities and contributions to lasting peace and stability.
“Our success must not be measured solely by the number of projects completed or facilities constructed. It must also be measured by the quality of service delivered, the livelihoods improved, the trust built among communities, and the contribution our interventions make towards lasting peace and stability,” he said.
Mr Tia further called for effective monitoring, adherence to environmental and social safeguards, meaningful community participation and proper maintenance of completed facilities to ensure that they continued to benefit intended beneficiaries.
He called for deliberate efforts to ensure that women, young people and other vulnerable groups benefited from development interventions and were included in decision-making processes.
The Minister expressed appreciation to the World Bank, the Governments of Ghana and Togo, project implementation units and other stakeholders for supporting the initiative.
His counterpart from Togo, Mr Agbante Oukoura, Regional Minister for Tandjouare, described the meeting as an important opportunity for knowledge-sharing and mutual learning between the two countries.
He urged participants to engage openly and systematically so that lessons learnt could be applied in their respective communities to improve development outcomes.
“Even if we are no longer here tomorrow, our children will be here, and we are obliged to build and develop today so that our children can benefit tomorrow,” he said.
Mr Oukoura expressed the hope that the discussions would help achieve the objectives of the SOCO Project and improve the lives of people in beneficiary communities.
He expressed confidence that the deliberations would produce practical recommendations to improve project delivery, deepen bilateral cooperation and strengthen the resilience of border communities.
Mr Oukoura urged participants to translate the outcomes of the meeting into tangible actions that would improve livelihoods, promote peaceful coexistence and safeguard stability across the Ghana-Togo border.
Both Ministers underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among governments, traditional authorities, local institutions and community members in addressing shared challenges.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Reporter’s email: [email protected]