He commended the SOCO staff and staff of the beneficia­ry Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for using the resources given to them to develop their communities in their various districts.

The Vice President stated these when he paid a working visit to the Northern Region to engage with stakeholders of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Projects.

The visit of Mr Dione was part of the project aimed to acquaint himself with the progress of work and to promote regional collaboration and socio-economic resilience in the northern part of the country.

He was satisfied with the excel­lent progress of the projects and acknowledged its potentials to drive sustainable development and improve lives in the region.

He stated that his visit was to demonstrate the commitment of the World Bank in supporting Ghana’s development agenda, particularly in social cohesion, economic growth and environ­mental sustainability.

The stakeholders and the im­plementers of the SOCO Project, briefed the Vice President on the project’s progress, challenges, and future plans.

The SOCO Project aimed to enhance regional collaboration and socio-economic resilience in border-zone communities across Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo.

The project focuses on 48 bene­ficiary MMDAs across six regions, mainly in the northern part of the country.

The beneficiary districts includes eight in the Northern Re­gion, six in the North East, 15 in the Upper East, 11 in the Upper West, four in the Savannah Re­gion, and four in the Oti Region.

The project, according to them, had made notable strides, with 582 projects valued at $150 mil­lion and these initiatives include the provision of water, school buildings, health facilities, mar­kets, earth dams, and other critical infrastructure.

The Acting Chief Director of the Northern Regional Coordinat­ing Council (NRCC), Mr Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, applauded the World Bank on behalf of the chiefs and people of the region for the SOCO projects.

He said the implementation of the projects came at the right time that the regions were in need of such projects.

Mr Abudu assured the World Bank Vice President that the regions would continue to make them proud and requested for more additional funding to ex­tend its benefits to more of the MMDAs in the regions.

He said the SOCO Project had improved the lives of thousands of people in northern Ghana.

“The infrastructure develop­ment has not only enhanced the quality of life but also fostered economic growth and social cohe­sion among the people in north­ern Ghana,” he added.

He said the project had also promoted social cohesion by strengthening relationships among community members.

He stated that, these led to in­crease in participation of commu­nity activities and decision-making processes, creating a sense of uni­ty and cooperation involving local stakeholders in the decision-mak­ing process.

The project, he said, had en­sured that community needs and priorities were being addressed, adding that the SOCO Projects had created over 3,748 jobs and empowered local communities, particularly women and youth.

Mr Abudu stated that, this was achieved through skills training and access to finance, enabling community members to partic­ipate in economic activities and improve their livelihoods.