Forty-eight projects completed under SOCO in Northern Region

A total of 48 development projects have been completed in the Northern Region as part of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project.

 
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, who announced this at a press briefing in Tamale, said the projects cut across various sectors and had brought transformation to the lives of the beneficiary communities.

 
The projects involved water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, health facilities, information and communication technology facilities, classroom blocks, market sheds, feeder roads amongst others.

 
The press conference also featured a team from the National Programme Implementation Unit of the SOCO project, who made a presentation on the project and its impact on the beneficiary communities.

 
Alhaji Saibu said the projects in the Saboba District and Yendi Municipality had been handed over to the beneficiary communities and institutions whilst the rest were being handed over during the course of the week.

 
He described the projects as a notable change due to their useful impact on the lives of the beneficiaries.

 
The SOCO project is being implemented by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development with funding from the World Bank to, amongst others, ensure resilience of communities in northern border regions of the country. 

Alhaji Saibu said the projects were not just physical infrastructure but had also brought about job opportunities to the people in the beneficiary communities.

 
He said under phase two of the SOCO project, 73 projects in educational infrastructure, electricity, parks, health and others would be undertaken in the region.

 
Mr Samuel Forson, Tamale Zonal Coordinator, SOCO project said some of the completed projects addressed longstanding development challenges in the communities, which had brought a lot of relief to the people.