The project, funded by the European Union (EU), was launched at Kukpalgu in the Mion District and will be implemented in the Bawku West, Garu, Tempane and Binduri Districts in the Upper East Region as well as Yendi and Mion Districts in the Northern Region. 

Known as Re-greening Africa Phase II (RA II), the initiative seeks to support smallholder farmers and pastoral households to adopt profitable and climate-smart restoration practices while strengthening policy environments, improving local governance systems, empowering women and youth, and mobilizing investment in land restoration. 

The project is expected to benefit at least 200,000 additional smallholder households through improved soils, diversified agricultural systems, enhanced food and nutrition security, higher incomes, and expanded green and restoration-focused rural enterprises, especially for women and youth. 

Mr Rune Skinnebach, EU Ambassador to Ghana, speaking during the launch, said the EU believed damaged land could be restored when communities were provided with the right tools and support. He said: “We are here today because we believe in solutions. The results of the first phase are encouraging, and we know communities can adapt and succeed.” 

Mr Ali Adolf John, Northern Regional Minister said government viewed re-greening not merely as a project but as a strategic pathway to climate resilience, food security, and economic transformation. He pledged the support of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council to ensure the successful implementation of the project. 

Madam Tinah Mukunda, National Director, World Vision Ghana, said the first phase of the project reached more than 5,452 households in Ghana and restored an estimated 5,117 hectares of degraded land. She reaffirmed the consortium’s commitment to sustainable restoration, strengthening value chains and improving livelihoods of especially women and youth. 

Dr Francis Gumah, Head of Programmes at CRS, who spoke on behalf of the CRS Country Representative, underscored the importance of partnerships citing the establishment of the Northern Restoration Initiative as a key achievement of the phase one that had improved coordination of restoration efforts across the regions in the north. 

Re-greening Africa Phase II builds on the success of Phase I, which restored encouraging hectares of land and supported over 600,000 households across eight African countries between 2017 and 2023 earning recognition as a United Nations World Restoration Flagship. 

Phase II is being implemented by a consortium led by CIFOR-ICRAF, together with World Vision, CRS, CARE International, Sahel Eco, and Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF).