SOCO projects to resume across northern Ghana, Oti Region, after funding delays resolved

The National Project Coordinator of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project, Elizabeth Ohenewa Agyei, has announced that stalled development projects across northern Ghana and the Oti Region are expected to resume following the resolution of funding delays.

She said the World Bank-supported initiative had experienced a temporary disruption in the flow of funds, but the situation had since been addressed, with the Ministry of Finance releasing funds to facilitate the completion of ongoing projects.

Speaking at a Ghana–Togo Joint Regional Working Session in Nalerigu in the North East Region on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Ms Agyei said contractors were already mobilising to return to project sites.

“Initially, there was a brief stall in the fund flow, but currently, that has been resolved. So, what we should expect is the pick-up of stalled projects that had to wait a while. I think that they have already started mobilising and coming back to site,” she said.

She added that the Ministry of Finance was releasing most of the funding required to ensure the projects were completed.

“Currently, we do not have that issue. We have the Minister of Finance actually releasing most of the funding that is required, especially to make sure that these projects are completed,” she stated.

Ms Agyei also disclosed that discussions were ongoing about a possible third cycle of the project, expressing optimism about its prospects.

“We are also in talks to get to know if we will do the third cycle, which we have high assurances of,” she added.

The announcement offers renewed hope to communities across the beneficiary regions, where SOCO interventions aim to improve access to essential infrastructure, strengthen livelihoods and address development challenges that could contribute to social tensions.

The working session brought together stakeholders from Ghana and Togo to review project implementation and strengthen cross-border collaboration under the SOCO initiative. The Togolese delegation included the Prefect of Tandjoari, Agbante Oukoure.

The North East Regional Minister, Ibrahim Tia, called for stronger cooperation between Ghana and Togo to address emerging security threats, including violent extremism, cross-border crime and illicit arms trafficking.

In a welcome address at the session, Mr Tia said the two countries shared longstanding historical, cultural, social and economic ties, particularly among communities along their common border.

“These enduring ties constitute a valuable foundation upon which we can build stronger partnerships for peace, security, and sustainable development,” he said.

He warned that instability in the Sahel region posed growing risks to border communities, stressing that Ghana's relative peace and stability should not be taken for granted.

Mr Tia said the SOCO Project was important not only for delivering infrastructure but also for strengthening social cohesion, improving livelihoods and enhancing communities' resilience to conflict and other shocks.

The World Bank-supported initiative is being implemented in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Côte d'Ivoire to strengthen social cohesion, improve socioeconomic and climate resilience, and reduce fragility, conflict and violence.

In Ghana, the project covers 48 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies across six beneficiary regions, including the North East Region. Its interventions include investments in education, healthcare, markets, water systems and livelihood activities, particularly for women and young people.

Mr Tia noted that poverty, unemployment, social exclusion and competition over resources could fuel grievances that extremist and criminal groups might exploit.

“Development must go beyond the provision of physical infrastructure. It must also empower communities, strengthen local institutions, promote inclusion, and create opportunities for people to participate meaningfully in their own development,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to assess the project's impact beyond the number of facilities constructed, focusing instead on service quality, improved livelihoods and the trust built among communities.

“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 services delivered, the livelihoods improved, the trust built among communities, and the contribution our interventions make towards lasting peace and stability,” he added.

The working session, held under the project's Regional Coordination and Dialogue Platform, aims to strengthen coordination, share lessons, review progress and identify challenges affecting implementation.

Participants are also expected to engage communities in areas such as Nakpanduri and Bimbago to hear directly from beneficiaries, identify their concerns and assess the impact of project interventions.

Mr Tia called for stronger collaboration among governments, implementing agencies and border communities, emphasising that no single country or institution could address the region's security and development challenges alone.