By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog

The United Nations Development Programme-Ghana (UNDP-Ghana) has organised  a three-day capacity-building workshop for local government staff in the Tempane District of the Upper East Region, aimed at improving essential service delivery in crisis situations and enhancing community resilience against violent extremism.

The workshop, held under the Preventive Facility project, brought together 60 participants from seven electoral areas and eight local government departments, including Assembly Members, unit committees,  Ghana Immigration Service, NADMO, NCCE, Department of Social Welfare and community development, District Budget & Planning Officers, Gender Desk officer, among others.

Funded by the governments of Denmark, Luxembourg, and the Republic of Korea, the initiative is part of a broader strategy being implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the Peace Council in selected border and cross-border communities across the Upper East and Savannah Regions.

Addressing emerging threats

Speaking during the training, Mr. William Adongo, Project Officer at UNDP-Ghana, explained that the intervention was in response to increasing threats of conflict and violence in the sub-region.

He said violent extremism, fuelled by vulnerabilities spilling over from the Sahel, had created instability that threatened the security and development gains of communities in the Gulf of Guinea.

Mr. Adongo noted that the project sought to strengthen the ability of local governance structures to develop strategic, community-centred development plans.

“By building the capacity of local government staff, we are expecting them to integrate strategic development initiatives into their local government medium-term development plans to improve service delivery, economic resilience, and collaborate effectively in preventing violent extremism,” he stated.

Call to action

The Tempane District Coordinating Director, Mr. Joseph A. Abugre, lauded UNDP for the initiative and said capacity building among local government staff was crucial for fostering collaboration with stakeholders to meet community needs and curb violent extremism.

He urged the participants to apply the knowledge and skills gained from the workshop in their daily duties to advance the district’s development agenda and reinforce peace efforts.

Broader project scope

The training for local government staff adds to two earlier cohorts of similar training sessions for women and youth in the  Tempane District.

These initiatives form part of a broader effort under the Preventive Facility project to boost the participation of women and youth in peacebuilding and conflict prevention activities across vulnerable communities while building the capacity of local government staff to improve service delivery in crisis context.