When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the Region to access the progress of development a year on after it gained Regional status, it realized that major roads within the Regional capital, Nalerigu and the East Mamprusi Municipality were tarred, while others were at various levels of construction.

Street lights at night were well lit in both townships, which encouraged commercial business activities among residence along major streets in the Regional capital and the Municipality.

Some residence who spoke to the GNA at Gambaga said they were happy with the pace of development in the Region, and indicated that the township roads had beautified the Region and eased their movements in the town.

Mr Abdulai Halim, a resident, said "the town roads in Gambaga have actually come to ease our movement in the town," and explained that residence, especially motorbike riders hitherto crisscrossed each other due to the poor nature of the roads, and dust from moving vehicles was unbearable.

According to him, "When these roads were constructed, we saw Police Officers on them directing us to use the right lanes."

Within Nalerigu and its environs and the Gambaga Municipality, there were ongoing constructions of toilets and mechanized boreholes in some communities such as Sakogu and Langbinsi with funding support from the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) under the Ministry of Special Development Initiative.

The IPEP is one of government's flagship programmes aimed at eradicating poverty and minimizing inequality, especially in deprived communities in rural areas across the country through the provision of basic infrastructure.

There were also ongoing World Bank and Government of Ghana funded programmes for the provision of sustainable rural water and sanitation for the Nalerigu and Gambaga townships.

"In my opinion the topmost need of the people of Nalerigu is good drinking water, this is what we have been crying for. Our people walk miles to fetch water from streams so this water project has come at the right time," Mr Haruna Ibrahim, a resident, said.

Speaking on the pace of development in the Gambaga Municipality, Mr Danladi Abdul-Nashir, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the entire 10- kilometer- road project, five for each township, Gambaga and Nalerigu, were scheduled to complete within 18 months.

He said the pre-coating for Gambaga ended two weeks ago, while the Nalerigu one ended about three months ago, and indicated that the Contractor was mobilizing to return to site for the second and final coats to be done on the roads in the two towns.

The MCE, who could not readily provide the contract sums for the projects, however explained that the World Bank would fund 70 per cent of the sustainable rural water and sanitation project while the Government of Ghana would provide 30 per cent of the funds.

Mr Abdul-Nashir said the project had a solar power component to support electricity supply from the national grid.