The NGO fully fenced the market, which had improved facilities such as loading rump, water storage system and a modern facility to provide veterinary services to dealers in the livestock business to enhance livestock trading activities in the area.

The market is to serve as a trading centre, which would link and scale up livestock trading activities among industry players along the value chain within the West Africa Sub-Regions.

The NGO commissioned the market, which formed part of its implemented project dubbed: “Strengthening the Resilience of Agro-Pastoral System in West Africa” (PARSAO) aimed at enhancing livestock mobility and trading in the Sub-Regions.

The project intends to improve the well-being of agro-pastoral communities as well as promoting sustainable economic development of livestock sector within the Sub-Region through securing, servicing, and promoting trans-border livestock mobility.

The event organised through GDCA sub-unit, Community Life Improvement Programme (CLIP) in partnership with Acting for Life (AfL), a French based NGO is funded by the French Agency for Development (FAD).

Dr Osman Al-hassan, Chairman of GDCA Technical Committee in a speech read on his behalf said, activities within the market would eventually increase income generation to alleviate poverty among agro-pastorals farmers in the area.

He said the market equipped with modern facilities would improve service provision in as well as ensure easy control of animals to enhance trading activities to envisage the objectives of the PARSAO project.

Mr Rockson Bukari, the Upper East Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf urged residents to leave in a peaceful co-existence to increase production, investment and maintenance of infrastructure in the country.

He said government had placed much focus in taking the lead at supporting the agriculture and animal production sectors in the country as means of generating revenue to ensure development of the country.

Mr Bukari indicated that, “Government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will this year support 2,000 livestock farmers with 70,000 superior breeds of small ruminants in all regions”.

Alhaji Abdul-Salam Issahaka, the Bawku Livestock Committee Chairman expressed gratitude to GDCA and CLIP for rehabilitating the market to a modern standard, stressing that the right measure would be put in place to ensure the adequate use of the market.

 He said the fencing of the market would improve the security challenges to resolve the incidence of animal theft as a result of better control entry and exist of livestock and other products into the market.