By Godfred Aaneamenga Polka, GNA
Tolong (Togo), Oct. 30, GNA – Ms Elizabeth Ohenewah Agyei, the National Coordinator of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project, has called on participating countries to strengthen community ownership and engagement to ensure the sustainability of development interventions and promote security.
She said although Ghana, Togo, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire implemented the project through their respective national systems and standards, the common principle was to ensure that communities were actively involved in decision-making.
“One thing is clear: the communities are involved, everybody is included, everybody is consulted, and there is no difference as to why you are important in the community,” she said.
Ms Agyei made the call in an interview with journalists at Tolong, a community in Tandjoare 2 Municipality in Togo during a four-day cross-border learning exchange programme.
She noted that the exchange programme between Ghana and Togo provided valuable insights into the implementation of the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach and highlighted the importance of allowing communities to determine their development priorities, which enhanced ownership and improved the prospects of sustainability.
“The fundamental thing is that it is what the community prioritizes that is done. We do not impose anything. And when it happens that way, the sustainability is better because ownership is very high,” the SOCO National Coordinator said.
Ms Agyei noted that the four participating countries had a shared responsibility to ensure the success of the project and stressed that failure by one country could undermine the collective objectives of the initiative.
She said Ghana, in particular, had a significant responsibility to sustain its implementation efforts despite the challenges encountered.
“We are working in four countries, and everybody may think that Ghana is doing its own thing, Togo is doing its own thing, Benin is doing, and Côte d’Ivoire is doing. But no country can fail because if an individual country fails to implement, it means that our original goal is not going to be achieved,” she said.
On lessons from the exchange programme, Ms Agyei identified climate-resilient infrastructure and sustainable development practices as important areas Ghana could adopt from Togo.
She and cited the positioning of classroom blocks to maximise ventilation and while minimising exposure to direct sunshine as one of the practical lessons observed during the visit.
According to her, the design and orientation of school buildings were critical to creating comfortable learning environments, particularly for children.
“One of the key things that stood out in the Togolese part is the fact that they have these open windows, but they still are not affected by the sunshine. One of the things they told me is that the positioning of the classroom block is very critical,” she added.
She indicated that the project would consider incorporating such climate-sensitive design principles into future school infrastructure interventions in Ghana.
Ms Agyei further identified the provision of sports kits and support for community football clubs as another area Ghana could learn from Togo to strengthen social cohesion.
She explained that although the Ghanaian component of the project had supported community football clubs, mainly through tournament sponsorship, the provision of sports kits could further enhance their activities and participation.
The National Coordinator said the project would explore opportunities to provide additional support to the clubs to strengthen community engagement and promote peaceful coexistence.
Speaking on security, Ms Agyei warned that the spillover of conflicts from the Sahel remained a real threat and called for greater recognition of communities as essential partners to prevent violent extremism and emphasized that investments in conventional security measures alone were insufficient without the active participation and confidence of local communities.
“There can be no better security than the community themselves,” Ms Agyei said.
She explained that communities that felt included, listened to and satisfied with development interventions were more likely to provide early warning information and resist attempts by extremist groups to establish a foothold.
“When the communities are satisfied, when they feel that they are being heard, they would be your best bet in terms of early warning. They will be your best bet in terms of maintaining security within their own enclave,” she said.
Ms Agyei added that empowering communities through inclusive development and meaningful participation remained essential to building resilience against extremist activities and sustaining peace across the participating countries.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Reporter’s email address: [email protected].