The Vice Chairperson of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Hon. David Quaye Annang has disclosed that the African Development Bank has provided about $80 million in grant to support agricultural development effort within the regions of the north.
This move seeks to help improve productivity, increase incomes of farmers and improve nutrition of farm-families.
He addressed this at a Regional Development Forum in Northern Ghana on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, in Tamale.
He stated that the grant compliments the numerous interventions made by past governments, development partners and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOS) over the years to improve access to livelihood opportunities in the northern part of Ghana.
“Notable among them are The Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP), The Ghana Community-Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP), Shea Nut Processing and Marketing Partnerships have been undertaken in the northern Ghana over the years,” he stated
He however noted that the impact of these interventions has been hindered by a lack of coordination and a fragmented approach towards implementation, which has led to the extensive migration by the youth towards the south in search for greener pastures. 
He indicated that it was against this backdrop that the NDPC and the MLGRD organized the forum with the objective of initiating conversation on the development challenges in order to proffer policy recommendations.
“Another objective is to utilize the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion Project as a foundational platform to enhance resilience, and specifically identify solutions in response to the challenges posed by climate change” He added.
He hinted that the NDPC will play a lead role to identify key actions for the achievement of the needed development.
We can achieve these by paying attention to the multiple dimensions of sustainable development including climate, health, agriculture, investment, peace, and security. To effectively measure progress, the NDPC will play a lead role to identify key actions for the achievement of the needed development. 
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Mr. Daniel Botwe on his part said, the Ministry, together with the National Development Planning Commission recognises the importance of forum to drive this coordinated development agenda and eventually change the status quo and the narrative in this part of the country.
He expressed excitement about the forum mooted by the NDPC stating “the deliberations here would go a long way to inform policy and fashion out appropriate measures to surmount challenges being faced in the decentralisation agenda,”.
Mr. Botwe opined that the mapping of all development interventions in the MMDAs and pictorial illustrations with support from Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) and the Physical Planning Officers in all the MMDAs will be vital to harmonise development in Northern Ghana. 
“This, once carried out properly, will serve as a blueprint for the execution of all programmes and projects in the MMDAs as per Section 12(5) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936),” he noted.
The Regional Development Forum in Northern Ghana is being held by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) under the theme “A Policy Thrust: Achieving Equitable and Balanced Development Through Effective Project Delivery in Northern Ghana”.