Mrs Elizabeth Opoku-Darko, the Executive Secretary of NADeF, disclosed this in her address at an end of year media gathering organised by the Newmont Ahafo Mines Limited for journalists and radio talk show hosts in the Bono and Ahafo regions.

She said 1,175 beneficiaries, which comprised 1,070 tertiary students and 105 apprentices, were awarded scholarships.

Mrs Opoku-Darko said two engineering students were receiving a GHS20,000.00 (Liebherr/NADeF Excellence Scholarship), while 12 youths were awarded a GHS113,044.00 (UMA/NADEF Community Excellence Scholarship) for academic and apprenticeship purposes.

She said besides the scholarships, NADeF had made efforts to economically empower individuals through its micro-credit support programme where more than GHS1.328 million had been disbursed to 697 beneficiaries.

Mrs Opoku-Darko added that a Business Start- Up capital support of GHS350,000.00 had been loaned to a client to start a piggery business.

She said a number of projects were also completed within the period, citing the completion of the expansion works of the administration block, dais, staff changing and washrooms of the Police Training School at Kenyasi Number One, Asutifi North District and the completion of a three-storey lecture block for the Yamfo Medical and Allied Health Training School in the Tano North Municipality.

Mrs Opoku-Darko said other projects included the renovation works on the Twereku Ampem Senior High School buildings and the provision of furnishings, mechanised borehole and elevated water storage facility alongside with the installation of 100 bunk beds in the school dormitories at Ntotroso, Asutifi North and a limited water supply facility established at Bissi Adrobaa, Tano North Municipality.

Mrs Opoku-Darko said other projects included the renovation works on the Twereku Ampem Senior High School buildings and the provision of furnishings, mechanised borehole and elevated water storage facility alongside with the installation of 100 bunk beds in the school dormitories at Ntotroso, Asutifi North and a limited water supply facility established at Bissi Adrobaa, Tano North Municipality.

She announced that the construction of a six-unit classroom block for the RC Primary School at Afrisipakrom was in progress with other projects, including the fencing of the Yamfo Royal Mausoleum and the construction of a three-storey classroom block for the Terchire community in the Tano North Municipality were on course.