Streamlining the Northern Development Authority: A Pathway to Sustainable Investment

The Northern Development Authority (NDA), formerly SADA, faces a critical juncture. Despite possessing significant economic potential rooted in the rich biodiversity of its designated zone – encompassing diverse drainage patterns, vegetation, soil, and geological types, coupled with varied rainfall – the region continues to lag behind in development.

These natural assets offer a wealth of opportunities across diverse sectors, from basic agriculture and mining to sophisticated technology-based industries. However, the current structure of the NDA, burdened by bureaucratic complexities and political influence, hinders its effectiveness in attracting and facilitating the necessary investment for genuine economic transformation.

The key to unlocking the NDA's potential lies in simplification. The prevailing model, reliant on a large, bureaucratic organisational structure, needs to be replaced with a lean and efficient secretariat. This secretariat’s primary function would be to engage experts to develop and maintain a comprehensive master plan for the zone.

This plan will clearly outline potential investment opportunities and their associated benefits, would then be proactively marketed to investors both domestically and internationally. This approach leverages the private sector's resources and expertise, recognising that the government cannot, and should not, attempt to solely drive the economic development of the region.

Interestingly, a foundation for this approach already exists. In the first Mahama administration, under the leadership of Dr. Charles Abugre, during his tenure as CEO of SADA around 2016, a comprehensive master plan was developed. Reviving and updating this plan would provide a solid starting point for attracting investor interest.

Crucially, the government’s role shifts from direct implementation to providing essential infrastructure support. This includes incrementally developing roads, electricity supply, and irrigation facilities, based on the actual uptake and demonstrated needs of investors.

By placing responsibility for these essential services with the relevant ministries – the Minister of Energy and Green Transition for electricity, the Minister of Roads and Highways for roads, and the Food and Agriculture Minister for irrigation – streamlines decision-making and ensures efficient resource allocation.

The simplified secretariat, drawing upon expertise across various sector ministries, would then focus on monitoring the progress of individual investment projects and effectively managing the overall activities within the zone. Further accelerating investor interest could be achieved by designating the zone as a free zone area, offering attractive incentives and streamlined regulatory processes.

This streamlined approach eliminates the need for a large, costly, and often inefficient bureaucratic structure, complete with a Chief Executive Officer, departmental heads, and extensive support staff. The functions traditionally performed by directors within a bureaucratic model can be effectively fulfilled by experts from existing ministries, who would convene on an as-needed basis, compensated with sitting allowances.

In conclusion, simplifying the structure of the NDA and focusing on attracting private investment through a well-defined master plan, coupled with targeted government infrastructure support, represents a more efficient and sustainable pathway to achieving the long-awaited economic transformation of the Northern Development Authority zone.

By prioritising efficiency, transparency, and strategic partnerships, the NDA can finally fulfill its mandate and unlock the region's immense potential.

Anthony Obeng Afrane