The project is aimed at using the district platforms to connect with the stakeholders at the grass root level on issues of agricultural governance and to allow the stakeholders to participate effectively during the decision-making process.

The project is being supported by USAID and implemented by the four-member consortium, SEND-Ghana, CARE-International, and West Africa Network for Peace-Building (WANEP) and Actionaid- Ghana, to strengthen mechanisms that would enhance agricultural sector coordination, collaboration and oversight functions.

Mr Chrys Pul, the Governance and Advocacy Specialist for the NGGA project, in a presentation, said the platform sought to establish strong interventions to support mechanisms for civil-state engagements so as to sustain multi-stakeholder regular dialogue, coordination and joint actions in the agricultural sector.

He said the platforms would strengthen coordination of key agricultural sector actors at regional and districts levels, promote responsive and accountable governance in agriculture and strengthens coordination of local government actors and the civil society organizations in the agricultural sector.

Mr Pul outlined the responsibilities of the platforms and charged them to strengthen coordination of key agricultural sector actors at regional and districts levels and promote responsive and accountable governance in agriculture.

He asked them to strengthen coordination of local government actors and the civil society organizations in the agricultural sector. Mr Frederick Adimazoya, the Monitoring and Evaluation officer on the project in the Upper East Region, said the platforms would enhance coordination, collaboration and integration with all agricultural sector actors in the district, adding that they will hold all actors accountable and responsive to the needs of the populace.

Mr Adimazoya indicated that they would provide evidence-based advises to the executive committee and the Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA) secretariat, through the District Planning Committee Units (DPCU) on agriculture from wider consultations, design innovative ways to leverage MMDA and other resources for funding the platform activities to make them sustainable after the first year.

Mr Charles Akwotigah, the Municipal Director of Agriculture, charged members of the platform to take keen interest on the activities because it was going to improve agriculture in the area.

Mr Akwotigah reminded members of the deplorable state of agriculture in the area and urged them to mobilize relevant material information that would be needed for the development of agriculture.

Members of the platform included the traditional authority, farmers, women groups, People with Disabilities, Agriculture Extension Officers, Experts in Agricultural Planning Services, and the Bawku Municipal Assembly Planning Unit.