Twelve students from Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College are on a five-day tour of Upper West Region to evaluate the implementation and impact of government policies and programmes on the people.
In addition, they would examine the effects of politics and socio-economic issues on development, poverty alleviation, migration and diseases that affect the people.
They included students from Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Mauritania.
Mr James Dasah, Upper West Regional Economic Planning Officer, briefing the students said in spite of some economic benefits, there had been spilling over of criminal activities and diseases in the Region from Burkina Faso.
He said tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and guinea worm were some of the diseases imported into the Region through cross border activities.
Mr Dasah noted that harsh economic conditions, one cropping season and poor soil had contributed to the migration of young people from the Region to the southern part of the country to engage in productive ventures to support those at home.
He said some of the youth had also started moving to Wa East District where the land was fertile for crop cultivation but expressed concern about the area that lacked welfare and service facilities.
"Road network in the Region is good but most of them are in deplorable condition. Only three district capitals: Wa Municipal, Nadowli and Jirapa are linked with tarred roads," Mr Dasah said.
He said prices of goods, services and building materials were high due to the distance and had impacted negatively on development.
On mineral potentials in the region, Mr Dasah mentioned large deposits of clay, iron ore and gold, as well as tourist attractions and appealed to investors to come and help in their development for the benefit of the people.
Mr Dasah appealed to government and development partners to help improve the provision of education, health, agriculture and roads infrastructure to facilitate accelerated development, adding: "out of every 10 people in the Region, nine are known to be poor".
Madam Winifred Asibi Dy-Yakah, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, appealed to the students to take issues of underdevelopment, poverty, poor roads, agriculture and health into consideration in their reports to the government.
"I urge you to give a clear picture of the Region in your reports to the government to develop Upper West Region. Let your reports be beneficial to the people, for our case is a special one," he said.
The students were led by Group Captain Augustine Lartey Lawson, Chief Instructor and Colonel Mark Theobale, Director of Studies of the College.