Zongo communities to benefit GHc40 million in the next four years

The Ministry of Business Development, will from next year, 2021, start allocating 10 million Ghana Cedis each year, for entrepreneurial initiatives in the Zongo communities in the country.

The money which will cover a period of four years is targeted at supporting individuals in all Zongo communities who are engaged in medium and small scale businesses.

Speaking on behalf of Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, the Minister for Business Development, at a two-day capacity building training in Bolgatanga, for Nasara Coordinators drawn from the Upper East and Upper West regions, Mr Safo Kantanka, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry said the programme was meant to alleviate poverty in the Zongo Communities.

“The Ministry is voting 10 million Ghana cedis, each year for the Zongos within Ghana. So, after this training session, those who have business ideas will submit their business plans which will be vetted by the Ministry and a panel will vet and go through with a certain criteria in identifying the businesses that we think we can support, which will make both national and international impact and we put them together for this support that will be coming every year for the people of the Zongos”.

Prior to the disbursement of the fund, which would start next year, the sector ministry is organizing entrepreneurial support programme for selected individuals from the Zongo communities to build their capacities on how to grow a business.

The ‘Zongo Business Initiative’ workshop which was part of the programme, was on the theme, ‘Empowering Zongo youth for inclusive growth’ and supported by the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme as well, the Korad Adenauer Stiftung.

Dr Awal said the development of social transformation in Ghana would not be limited only to Accra, but would include; everybody in the Zongos in the Upper East and Upper West regions.

He said aside the support, the ministry was offering the Zongo communities, it would also support persons with disability, the youth, women groups, students from both secondary and tertiary institutions in entrepreneurial training to become their own masters in terms of job creation.

With the onset of the novel Coronavirus in the country, Dr Awal said it was expected that some social intervention policies such as NABCO, Free SHS and the improvement of NHIS, would help alleviate the challenges that accompanied the disease.

Alhaji Alhassan Siita, the Upper East Regional Nasara Coordinator of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), expressed optimism that the yearly support would help make a positive change in the lives of the people.