USAID Northern Ghana Governance Activity (NGGA) Project

USAID Northern Ghana Governance Activity (NGGA) Project

Project Summary and Goals

NGGA is a five-year USAID-funded project, implemented by a consortium led by CARE International in 28 districts in the 3 regions of Northern Ghana. Other members of the consortium include Action Aid Ghana, SEND Ghana, and the West Africa Network for Peace-building in Ghana (WANEP). The goal of NGGA is to ensure more responsive governance for improved agricultural development in Ghana.

  1.  Strengthen institutional capacity for effective coordination and integration of key actors in decentralized agricultural development;
  2. Improve the enabling environment for community organizations, and the private sector to participate in decentralization and agricultural development;
  3. Enhance women’s participation in local governance and increase their access to agricultural information and opportunities;
  4. Increase community dialogue and consensus building to manage conflict and ensure sustainable development in Agriculture.

Strategy and Theory of Change

The performance of key regional and district government actors is critical to an enabling environment for civil society and private sector actors to secure agricultural investments, to improve governance of agriculture, and to improve the outcomes for the entire agricultural sector. The goal of the project will be achieved by tackling 3 key barriers to improved agricultural development:

  • A weak decentralized governmental system
  • Inadequate civic engagement, and
  • Insufficient women’s participation at key levels.

The project is aligned with the USAID Country Development and Cooperation Strategy for Ghana (2013-2017) by supporting its broad development objectives:

  • Strengthened Responsive, Democratic Governance and
  • Sustainable and Broad Economic Growth


Project Duration

March 2016 – February 2021

Project Components

Promotion, upscaling, and accessibility of high quality seeds Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM)

Climate Smart Agriculture Practices

Rainwater harvesting to enable Double Cropping/Dual Income farming

Capacity-Building for agricultural research centers

Information Communication Technology (ICT) for technology extension

Implementing Partners

Chemonics International Inc., with Iowa State University (ISU)

Geographical Coverage

ATT focuses on the Ghana Feed the Future (FTF) Intervention Zone, which covers the three regions of Ghana: Northern, Upper West, and Upper East, plus the northern parts of Brong Ahafo and Volta Regions.

Funding

 USD 11,447,513.00

Achievements and Outcomes

  • Built and equipped three new state• of the art seed laboratories for Ghana Seed Inspection Unit (GSIU) in the ZOI
  • Trained GSIU seed laboratory staff in the use and management of seed processing equipment and database software for data recording, analysis and sharing with the National Seed Laboratory
  • Rehabilitation of Wambong Dam and irrigation system development of IO hectares to shorten the release process for new crop varieties by norther region's Savannah Agriculture Research Institute (SARI)
  • Modern seed processors equipment granted to five seed production companies to enhance quality seed availability for farmers in the three regions of the ZOI
  • U.S. $7,89,000 in incremental sales of targeted commodities by ATT supported private sector actors
  • 4.485mt of certified seed brought to market in FYI7 through up­ scaled production of improved seed varieties
  • U. S $ 4.190 million in new private sector investment in the Ghanaian seed sector leverage through ATT grant support and its seed loan program
  • 22 seed marketers supported with seed vans enabled them to supply 460mt of certified seeds to smallholder farmers in hard-to­ reach communities
  • Partnered with USAID/Ghana FtF FinGAP project to secure GHc9.8 million
  • 93,938 hectares of farmland now under improved technologies
  • 165,250 farmers have begun applying improved technologies and GAP management practices
  • 30,756 women have been trained in GAPs and ISFM
  • 119,350 farmers have received information and/or instruction on new agriculture technologies and GAPs through video screening using Digital Classroom technology
  • 98.5% increase in maize yields for ATT beneficiary farmers as compared with baseline cohort value
  • 85.5% increase in rice yields for ATT beneficiary farmers as compared with baseline cohort value
  • 96.5% increase in soybean yields for ATT beneficiary farmers as compared with baseline cohort value


Key Staff Contacts

Walter Nunez-Rodriguez
Chief of Party
E-mail: wnunezr@agripolicyghana.org