articulating citizens’ needs and aspirations; promoting inclusive governance and development
A Special SADA Business and Investment Forum Edition
Engineering Week Celebration and SADA Business & Investment Forum
T
he Northern belt of Ghana is poised for unprecedented growth through business and investment inflows aligned to the
new national vision of accelerating the development of historically neglected communities in Ghana. The new
leadership of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) with the full backing of the Presidency of
Ghana and the support of all major political and traditional authorities will convene the Business and Investment Forum to
promote business opportunities available in the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone (NSEZ) of Ghana.
The Forum
The SADA BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT FORUM 2015 is being organized as part of the ENGINEERING WEEK CELEBERATION 2015
of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), to bring together private sector champions, business leaders, local and
international investors, development partners, traditional authorities, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, local
government, civil society, youth groups and citizens to dialogue, network and promote business and investment
opportunities for the accelerated development of the NSEZ.
Benefits
The many benefits to be derived from the Forum by participants include sealed business and investments deals and direct
business to business match-making and networking, while the peoples of the SADA zone will directly benefit from
investments that would ultimately lead to job creation and the socio-economic development for the NSEZ.
Exhibition
The Forum Exhibition will also create the platform for participants to showcase their business, products and services.
We invite you to be part of this ground-breaking event and benefit from the networking and match-making, knowledgesharing and exhibition.
THANK YOU
Page 2
Welcome to SABIF 2015 and the SADA Zone
–the frontier of unexplored opportunities
On behalf of the Board and management of SADA,
we welcome you to SABIF 2015 as a visitor, an
exhibitor, a friend, a cautious explorer, an investor to
share ideas and the cultural delights of Tamale.
The SADA Business and Investment Forum
(SABIF 2015) is a joint endeavour with the Ghana
Institution of Engineers. It is derived from the joint
desire to realise the alternative narrative – to turn the
investments gaps – infrastructure, agriculture, health,
education etc – into investment opportunities. Thus the
focus on infrastructure solutions for the transformation
of the SADA zone.
It is not a secret that the agriculture of the future
lies in the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone (NSEZ);
the renewable, sustainable and abundant energy sources
of the future lies in the NSEZ; that the manufacturing
potential of the future lies in the NSEZ. SABIF 2015 is
the first step of demonstrating these unexplored
opportunities.
There are two ways one can envision the NSEZ.
One way is the image of poverty, dependence, a hot, dry
and harsh environment, a place far away from
civilization – the landlocked, isolated “other Ghana”
that no one wants to be unless compelled. This image
has generated, in the best of circumstances, sympathy
and empathy that belie the proliferation of often small,
short-term oriented social interventions financed by aid.
The “north” is the place for NGOs and that part of the
development assistance envelop that doesn't address
economic opportunities. Very often however, the
poverty and suffering narrative leaves the “northerner”
stigmatised as burdensome to the other Ghanaians
whose tax revenues and resources presumably sustain
them.
The alternative image that can be painted of the
NSEZ is one of a sleeping giant – a place of vast
opportunities yet to harnessed, the frontier of new and
expanded markets – the regional markets of the
Savannah that stretches from the Eastern la Cote
d'Ivoire to the northern borders of Nigeria, sweeping
upwards along the Volta river basin involving Burkina
Faso, Niger, Mali and beyond – a place connected not
only by geography but also by history and culture. The
NSEZ, is in this case, a part of a larger Guinea Savannah,
the bridge between this vast ECOWAS market and the
rest of Ghana.
KEY NOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Victor Koh is the Senior
Leadership Consultant of the
International Leadership
Foundation. He is an Advisor
and Council Member to the
Government of Kenya's
National Economic and Social
Council, in the Office of the
President. He has traveled,
consulted, lectured and spoken
in over 125 countries in the last
40 years at international
seminars, conferences and
conventions. He has served in
numerous international Boards
of both for-profit and nonprofit organizations,
educational institutions,
corporations and companies.
Mr Adam Sulley,
Ag. Chairman, Board of Directors
When viewed with the alternative lens, the NSEZ
ceases to be landlocked or isolated. It is only as
landlocked as the infrastructure development permits. It
takes investment in an international airport to shorten
distances; better roads, bridges and the development of
the water transport potentials of the shared Volta River
for transport costs to shrink and markets to expand. A
friendly police not prone to extracting petty bribes on
our roads will make our neighbours feel welcome and
reduce the cost of haulage. Similarly, the sense of
isolation ceases to be simply a geographic determinant
but more in our attitudes towards regional integration
and our ability to imagine the unexplored vast integrated
market that the Guinea Savannah region potentially
offers.
As I said earlier on, SABIF 2015 is the first step
of demonstrating the unexplored opportunities in the
NSEZ. It is the premier event, paving the way for SABIF
2016, SABIF 2017 and so on. In between SABIFs,
SADA and its constituencies will explore similar
gatherings focusing on specific sectors and activities –
real estate, industrial parks, agricultural financing,
regional trade and who knows, a SADAfest, to
compliment PANAFEST, after all nowhere else suffered
the scourge of the slave trade more than the Guinea
Savannah.
We thank our partners: the GHIE, the University
of Development Studies and USAID and our expert
advisors such as Dr Ken Kwaku, Kofi Tsikata and others
behind the scenes working largely pro bono to make this
happen and the indefatigable Mrs Clara Pinkrah-Sam,
the SABIF Coordinator, pulling the many bits together.
We must not forget the Board and staff of SADA, who
though overstretched, shows no sign of this either in
their work or in their faces.
Mr Adam Sulley. Ag. Chairman, Board of
Directors and Charles Abugre, Ag. Chief Executive
Officer.
Message from President, GHiE Board
Ing. Magnus Lincoln Quarshie
The Northern Ecological Zone of Ghana offers us a
great opportunity to engrave another historical
milestone in the development of massive, rapid and
integrated infrastructure development for Ghana. It is
an opportunity for us as Ghanaian engineers and
business and Political leaders to DREAM BIG. We need
to conceive infrastructure that last "forever" that will
serve generations. The Ghana Institution of Engineers
believes that the collaboration with the Savannah
Accelerated Development Authority is historic and a
key driver to a Dream Reality. The TAMALE2015 and
SABIF2015 a flagship engineering and business and
investment conference that intends to harness great
ideas to transform lives and to improve the quality of life
of our citizenry. Indeed I feel proudly Ghanaian and I
look forward to a great conference. I would like to use
this medium to invite as many Ghanaians, be they
professional, business leaders, and political leaders to
make a date with TAMALE2015 and SABIF2015
during the week ending March 2015.
Engineering Week Celeberation 2015
He was born and
educated in Singapore, where
he received his Bachelor of
Science degree from the
University of Singapore. He
has three earned Master
degrees, majoring in
Leadership, Management and
International Marketing. He
received his Ph.D. degree in
Business Administration from
The Ohio State University in
USA.
He specializes in
Leadership, Management and
Economic Development.
He is a Professor of
Business Administration and
was a MBA Professor of
Marketing Management with
the State University of New
York at Buffalo, New York,
and taught in the American
MBA degree program at the
Dalian University of
Technology in China, which
was sponsored by the US
Reagan Administration.
Dr. Victor Koh is a
regular speaker and facilitator
in the Transforming
Leadership Seminars
organized by the International
Leadership Foundation for
government, business and
educational leaders in Kenya,
Burundi, Ethiopia, Democratic
Republic of Congo,
Cameroon, Chad, Central
African Republic, South
Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Malawi, South Africa, Benin,
Nigeria and Ghana.
Dr. Koh is recognized by
the Prime Minister of
Singapore as a member of the
“Pioneer Generation” that
helped to build today's
Singapore. He will speak on,
“THE SINGAPORE
T R A N S F O R M AT I O N
STORY: THE ROLE OF
E N G I N E E R S I N
S I N G A P O R E ' S
TRANSFORMATION FROM
A THIRD WORLD NATION
TO FIRST IN ONE
GENERATION.”
Dr. Victor Koh
Page 3
SABIF 2015
· Analyzing private sector proposals for
sectors such as Agro-processing, Project
Financing, Mining, Energy, Infrastructure
development, and Tourism, all linked
directly to increased agricultural
productivity.
Purpose
The purpose of this High Level SADA Business
and Investment Forum is to facilitate and
promote multi-stakeholder investment policy
dialogue and business match-making
opportunities.
Forum Modality
Objective
The primary objective of the forum is to
contribute positively to the process of
business and investment co-operation and
ensure that commitments from transactions at
the forum are translated into concrete actions
by SADA officials and private sector
participants.
Charles Abugre, CEO, SADA
zone with particular focus on establishing
an investment-friendly environment and
incentives for local and international
businesses.
Benefits of the Forum
Participants will have information and
ideas on best practices for investment and
business development within the context
of area development.
· The forum will create a perfect setting for
several high levels B2B investment deals to
be brokered, initiated and probably sealed
at the end of the forum.
· It will provide a B2B match-making and
opportunities profiling platform for
investors.
· It will offer participants opportunity to
contribute to an Action Plan for enhancing
business climate reforms across the SADA
·
Discussion Themes
To help achieve the set objective, the key
issues to be discussed include:
· Analyzing and profiling trade and
investment opportunities within the SADA
zone
· Enhancing the business climate in the
SADA zone
· The transformational role of agriculture for
local level development
The forum will consist of plenary sessions,
business exhibitions by private sector players
in agriculture, agro-processing, banking and
finance, renewable energy, construction and
tourism and B2B match-making sessions.
Potential private sector participants shall be
requested to indicate their preferences for
companies they would want to meet one on
one during the B2B match-making sessions
taking into account their preferences for
particular services and products.
The forum will culminate into the
establishment of SADA Investment Council
that will carry on the task of deepening and
enhancing business ties between the private
sector, government institutions and traditional
authorities in the SADA zone, particularly in
mobilizing local investments and Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) across the two regions
towards the creation of shared prosperity for
the people.
Engineering Week Celeberation 2015
Engineering-Key Driver to Sustainable infrastructure in the Savannah Region of Ghana
The forum is being organized alongside the annual
Forum of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE)
which is a crucial stakeholder for infrastructure
development in Ghana.
In line with the country's National Agenda and the
Ghana Institution of Engineers' (GhIE) Strategic Plan,
the GhIE’s 2015 Annual Conference focuses on
Engineering as the key to both the Savannah
Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and the
National Strategic Infrastructure Development.
Thematic Areas
The Ghana Institution of Engineers believes that the
opportunity to sustainably develop the Northern
Savannah region holistically must be informed by a
thorough understanding of the following eight
thematic areas:
1. Providing sustainable transport infrastructure and
operations in the Savannah Region
2.
Providing sustainable water resources
management and water supply to improve
quality of life in the Savannah Region.
3. Promoting Effective Communication
4. Tapping the renewable energy resources and
providing energy for National Development
5.
Making the Savannah the food basket of our
country: the role of Agricultural Engineering
6.
7.
8.
Mitigating climate change issues using
engineering.
Sustainable Waste Management
Sustainable Financing and Investment in
Infrastructure in the Savannah Region
Discussions
Discussions will be centered on multidisciplinary
issues such as human development, private-public
partnership, the institutional, regulatory and
monitoring frameworks for the development as well
as for budgeting and sustainability.
The conference looks forward to presentations of
ideas, proposals, initiatives and results-oriented
projects from experts in the various fields to
collaborate with current and potential investors and
development partners. The expected outcome of the
conference is the establishment of strong beneficial
partnerships between stakeholders for sustainable
human development of the Northern Savannah and
Ghana as a whole.
Expected Outcome
By the end of the forum a strong beneficial
partnerships between stakeholders for sustainable
human development of the Northern Savannah and
Ghana as a whole would have been established.
Ing. Magnus Lincoln Quarshie
President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers
Page 4
What was SADA created to do?
VISION
A transformed
Northern Savannah
Ecological Zone
(NSEZ); a place of
opportunity and free
from poverty.
MISSION
To catalyze the transformation of the
NSEZ through citizens' mobilization;
strategic Planning; successful
coordination, collaboration and
facilitation (CCF), for effective public
sector delivery and private sector
investment.
Spirit, Imagination and Intent of
ACT 805, 2010
ACT 805, 2010 (here-after, The Act) that
established SADA is an exceptional piece of
legislation that was only possible because of
the remarkable degree of national and
cross-party consensus mobilised behind a
determination to tackle the structural
causes of the underdevelopment of the
Northern Savannah Ecological Zone (NSEZ),
in a comprehensive, integrated and longterm manner. A transformed and vibrant
NSEZ will serve not only the people who live
in the NSEZ but Ghanaians generally in that
will boost national economic growth and
provide opportunities for all Ghanaians to
live, work, profit, and serve.
The Act recognizes that nothing short of a
structurally transformed NSEZ will be
sufficient to reverse its relative underdevelopment, eliminate extreme poverty
and sustain its environment. By Structural
transformation is meant the need to make
the economy of the NSEZ more productive,
industrialised, vibrant, competitive and
diversified, by harnessing its abundant
resources especially agricultural potential,
its strategic location as a bridge between
the Sahelian Region of West Africa and the
rest of Ghana, and its ecological advantages
- a sun-filled, Savannah planes and the rich
cultures that thrive in it. This is also what
"integrated", "accelerated" and
"comprehensive" imply.
OBJECTIVES
The Act tasks SADA to achieve three
strategic objectives:
1. To provide strategic vision and
planning to government,
consistent with the national plan,
but one which will ensure
accelerated, integrated and
comprehensive development of
the Northern Savannah
Ecological Zone, in consultation
with stakeholders;
2. To mobilize human, financial and
other resources for the
implementation of the
accelerated development
strategy;
3. To co-ordinate existing and
future development and related
policies affecting the Northern
Savannah Ecological Zone with a
view to ensuring coherence in
policy-making and
implementation.
PROGRAMMES
· Agricultural Modernization
· Infrastructure
o
o
o
o
o
Irrigation
Energy
Transport
Water
ICT
· Manufacturing & Industrial Zones
· Mining
· Urban Modernization
o
o
o
o
Housing
Commercial Real Estate
Sanitation
Planning
· Social Sector
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
·
·
·
·
Health
Education
Social Protection
Peace Building
Disaster (Risk) Management
Community Development
Millennium Village Projects
The Services Economy
The Natural Environment
Investment Promotion
Business Facilitation
VALUES
Sustainability
To ensure our work is
grounded on social,
environmental and economic
sustainability by giving prime
respect to the protection and
preservation of our natural
environment.
Professionalism
To value the spirit of
professionalism, having a clear
sense of commitment,
perspective, and direction by
creating an environment that
promotes participation,
partnerships, teamwork,
innovation and constant
evaluation of our work.
Integrity & Accountability
To be honest, transparent,
inclusive and accountable in
decision-making by
maintaining the highest ethical
standards and utmost respect
for the Law establishing SADA.
Respect for Diversity &
Gender
To respect Gender & Diversity
to ensure equal opportunity,
irrespective of age, gender,
class, ethnicity, disability,
political affiliation or race.
Impact
To ensure a lasting and positive
impact on the lives of our
people by influencing policies,
practices and beliefs that
provide the greatest potential
to fundamentally transform the
NSEZ into a place of
opportunity and promise.
Trust
To earn the trust and
confidence of all stakeholders,
through hard work and
accountable governance of The
Authority...
Page 5
Some Life-changing SADA Assisted Project
At the inception of SADA, it embarked on programmes that were meant to bring about rapid transformation of communities in its
operational areas. Two of such programmes are the Millennium Village Project and the Agricultural Input Support project. Two years down
the line, various degrees of successes have been achieved by both programmes, some of which are the subjects of this catalogue.
Mr. Damba Wuni, primary six teacher (foreground,
left) of Nabari D/A Primary School: “Teaching and
learning is now more effective. This school placed
third on the schools’ performance league table in the
District.
The Nabari Health Centre in the West Mambrusi
District of the Northern Region is one of a number of
health facilities, that SADA has provided to selected
communities within the MVP operational area.
Daniel, Maize Farmer,
Finds Solace in SADA
Veronica (left) and other patients awaiting their turn
at the out-patients-department of the Nabari Health
Centre: “This clinic is a massive relief for us in Nabari,
especially we women. We used to carry pregnant
women on bicycles, with agonizing pains, all the way
to Walewale, about 17 kilometres away.
DANIEL ATIMOANIND is a maize farmer in the Naadema, Builsa South District of the Upper East Region. He,
and his group of five, received inputs from SADA to cultivate maize.
“But for SADA what would I have done? I am 35 years old with 10 children and two wives. We all depended
on a small farm of mixed crops that I cultivated every season. The yields were nothing to cheer about. Then
SADA introduced me to maize farming. They supplied me with fertilizer, seed and a tractor with affordable
ploughing services. Tractor service in this area is very expensive.
“This year (2014), I did 9 acres of maize and I have started harvesting. My life has improved since SADA
started helping me. I will sell some of the maize to feed and clothe my family. I will now send my children to
school and make sure every member of my family is healthy. We have five farmers in my group and they are
doing as well as I am”
SADA has supplies 1,200 school uniforms and sandals
to 20 primary schools within its Millennium Village
project.
Page 6
Some Life-changing SADA Assisted Project
At the inception of SADA, it embarked on programmes that were meant to bring about rapid transformation of communities in its
operational areas. Two of such programmes are the Millennium Village Project and the Agricultural Input Support project. Two years down
the line, various degrees of successes have been achieved by both programmes, some of which are the subjects of this catalogue.
Okata Farms and
Food Processing
in Good Business
Okata Farms and Food Processing is a SADA Technical
Service Provider based at Kpasa in the Nkwanta-North
District of the Volta Region.
Mr. JOHN KUWUDZO, CEO says: “Farmers in Kpasa used
to encounter difficulties with farm inputs and services.
For instance, tractor services were expensive so most
farmers used hoes and cutlasses to till their lands. They
also relied massively on manual labour. They could
hardly afford fertilizer and seeds. Because of that,
farmers were unable to do bigger hectares and their
livelihoods were appalling. But the advent of SADA
changed all that. SADA came along and provided inputs
like affordable tractor services, fertilizer and maize and
rice seeds.
“The result was that we have more than doubled the size
of our farms and our yields have also increased. Those
who were doing one hectare now do five hectors; those
who did five hectares now do 10; those who did 20 now
do between 50 and 90 hectors. In all, we have 350
farmers who have cultivated 1,300 hectares of rice which
we are harvesting and threshing at the same time.
“Moreover, our incomes have increased tremendously
and our lives have changed. Those who lived in mud huts
with thatched roofs are now building cement houses and
roofing them with iron sheets. Those who could not send
their children to school are doing so now because they
can afford to. Indeed SADA's intervention could not have
come at a better time. What a joy!!”
SADA has replaced the ramshackle Nabari D/A
Primary School block (below) with a new one (right)
to make teaching and learning more conducive for
Bagging rice on Okata Farms at Kpasa in the
Nkwanta-North District of the Volta Region.
Page 7
SADA Regions and Districts
13
11
26
8
5
Agricultural Growth Poles
2
1
6
9
3
4
8
7
Legend
1 – Fumbisi Valley,
2 – Pwalugu Area
3 – Buipe Area
4 – Katanga Area
5 – Oti River Basin
6 – Fumsi Valley
5
7 – Kabaka Gorge
8 – Bui Development Area
9 – Nasia Valley
articulating citizens’ needs and aspirations;
promoting inclusive governance and development
Approved prices
for participating in
the SADA Business
and Investment
Forum 2015
SADA Zone Business,
individuals and District
Assemblies
Exhibition
-GHc 350 for Booths only
Conference participation and
logistics per person
-GHc 50 for participation in
Conference Discussions only.
-GHc 150 for participation in
Conference Discussions
INCLUSIVE OF FEEDING. No
conference bag
-GHc 350 for participation in
Conference Discussions
INCLUSIVE OF FEEDING and
CONFERENCE BAG.
-GHc 450 for complete
–package – participation in
conference discussions,
conference bag, feeding and
banquet
National and International
Business
-GHc 1000 for Exhibition
Booths only
-GHc 450 for complete
conference package including
conference bag, feeding and
banquet.
Youth Forum
-Free Participation with Snack
ATTENDANCE TO
EXHIBITION IS OPENED TO
THE GENERAL PUBLIC
Published by RUMNET (Rural Media Network) P. O. Box 863, Tamale. Tel: 0372024177. EDITOR: Abdallah Kassim. Cell: 0244-218898. E-mail: [email protected]/[email protected]. http://www.rumnet.org.
Office Location: Agric Ridge. Registered by NMC/C.1.39/03/014 at GPO as newspaper No. NSR 57/2000.