MiDA News - MiDA Ghana

Millennium Development Authority 

MiDA News 

GHANA 

Quarterly Newsletter Tenth Edition | February, 2012 

Millennium Challenge Account, 

Ghana Program is funded by the 

Millennium Challenge Corporation, USA 

www.mida.gov.gh

Millennium Development Authority Quarterly Newsletter | Tenth Edition | February, 2012 

Mr. Martin Eson-Benjamin, 

Chief Executive Officer, MiDA 

Dear Colleagues, 

Our Gratitude and Appreciation 

We started like toddlers learning to walk, but we did not stumble, 

despite the significant challenges. 

In a few weeks, the Millennium Challenge Compact Program would 

have run its full course and MiDA will stand to be evaluated on her 

performance. Though we did not get off the blocks as early as was 

expected, we have made good progress and positive gains, in that we 

accomplished a reasonable proportion of the targets we set ourselves. 

Our outputs were significant and highly visible, while the outcomes and 

impacts have been appreciated by the generality of our beneficiaries. 

We have fought a good fight and have fully committed the US$547 

million, and are on course to disburse all the grant funds, leaving 

nothing on the table. 

We have fully accounted for the funds; we have maintained the integrity 

of the Program and built capacity for Project Management and effective 

delivery. Our success may also be judged based on the cohesiveness 

of the integrated pro-poor Program and Ghana’s reselection for a new 

Compact. 

On behalf of the Team, I will like to thank the Board Of Directors of 

MiDA for their effective oversight, the Millennium Challenge Corporation 

(MCC) for their contributions and cooperation over the last 5 years and 

Messrs Charles Kendall & Partners (CKP) for their forthrightness in the 

delivery of both the Fiscal and Procurement Components of the Program. 

Our other collaborator, Consultants and Contractors must take delight 

in how their partnerships and services have propped up MiDA, as the 

Implementing Entity. We are grateful to them. 

Our Contracts with the Staff of MiDA engaged for Compact 1 will soon 

end. It is refreshing to note that whatever successes have come MiDA’s 

way, are owed very much to the contribution of every Staff member. We 

acknowledge the hard work, the commitment of members, particularly 

the numerous engagements that took many of them away from the 

Office to the field, and thank the Almighty for guidance and protection 

from all risks; and their families for their forbearance. 

Working on this pro-poor Program demanded from our Staff, a high level 

of understanding and empathy with the beneficiaries. We therefore 

thank the Government and People of Ghana for entrusting us with the 

responsibility for the prosecution of the tasks that will bring growth 

into the rural economies and will contribute to the overall reduction 

in poverty levels in the beneficiary Communities. 

As the first Compact ends, it is our strong belief and expectation that 

MiDA will have yet another opportunity to use the abundant internal 

capacity built over the last 5 years, the knowledge and understanding 

of MCC’s work ethics and the strategic relationships built with public 

sector organisations in Ghana, to work on the Second Compact currently 

under preparation. 

We thank the Government and People of the United States of America 

for the continued confidence in Ghana and the opportunity given 

to Ghana to bring some much-needed social interventions into the 

beneficiary Districts. 

Regards, 

Martin Eson-Benjamin 

Chief Executive Officer 

Contents 

Rural Services Development Project 1 

Procurement Capacity Activity 3 

Financial Services Activity 4 

N1 Highway: Upgrades to Sections of N1 Highway 5 

Trunk Roads Activity 6 

Ferry Activity 7 

Commercial Training Activity 8 

Irrigation Activity 9 

Land Tenure Facilitation (Land Activity) 10 

Post-Harvest Handling and Value Chain Services 11 

Agricultural Credit Activity 12 

Feeder Roads Activity 13 

Mr. Alhassan Rashid becomes an Outgrower Ambassador of 14 

soya bean after completion of MiDA CDFO Training 

FBO brings water relief to Communities 15 

Good Environmental Management Practices Bring Happiness and Wealth 16 

Members Of US Congress Commission School At Bontrase 17 

Editorial 

Team 

Major Albert Don-Chebe (Rtd.) 

Selasi Adjorlolo 

Nana Ofori Owusu 

Nii Kotei Nikoi 

The Editor 

MiDA News 

4th Floor, Heritage Tower, 

Liberation Road, Ambassadorial Plaza, Ridge West, Accra 

Postal Address:Private Mail Bag 56, Stadium Post Office Accra 

Email : info@mida.gov.gh 

Telephone:+(233) 302 666619, +(233) 302 666621, +(233) 302 666624 

Fax: +(233)302 -666669, +(233)302-2666579

Quarterly Newsletter | Tenth Edition | February, 2012 


Rural Services Development Project 

A. Educational Facilities 

• Rehabilitation/Construction of 207 School Blocks 

and 154 Ancillary Facilities in 151 Communities; 

including girl-friendly Sanitation Facilities, 

• Provision of furniture; rain catchment systems 

and handicapped ramps. 

Aninagya Methodist Primary School, 

Sekyere East District 

Before 

After 

Golinga Presby Primary School, 

Tolon-Kumbugu District 

Before 

After 

1


Asuboni Odumase Primary and JHS 

Kwahu South 

Before 

After 

B. Water and Sanitation Facility: Construct 15 Pipe Extensions, 13 Small Town Water Systems, 

and 186 boreholes for 94 Communities; 70.3km Tamale Water Extension. 

Pipe Extensions 

Small Town Water Systems 

C. Rural Electrification: (20.6km LV, 93.0km HV, 12no. Transformers) to 10 Farms and 3 Packhouses. 

Transformer at the Integrated Tamale Fruit Company 

Electrification 

2



Procurement Capacity Activity 

Strengthening Public Sector Procurement Capacity 

• Placement of 1600 Tertiary Students in procurementrelated 

Internships with Public Institutions. 

• Development of Training Curricula and Modules for 

Procurement Majors, Diploma holders, and In-service 

Public Procurement Professionals. 

• Training of 20 Lecturers in the use of Curricula and 

Modules. 

Training of Tertiary Students 

Presentation of Procurement Curricula 

Donation of Procurement books to Selected Tertiary Institutions 

3


Financial Services Activity 

• Installation/training for a Cheque CodeLine Clearing 

System and Automated Clearing House Facility for 

the National Clearing House, involving all Banks in 

Ghana; 

• Development of a Satellite-based Wide Area 

Network(WAN), deployment of Standard Emerge 

Software for 134 Rural Banks with over 711 Agencies, 

plus electric generators and LAN. 

Wide Area Network Satellites 

Computer Servers 

4



N1 Activity: Upgrades to Sections of N1 Highway 

• Upgrading 14.1 km of Urban Highway to a 3-lane 

dual carriageway; (from the Tetteh-Quarshie 

Interchange to Mallam Junction in Accra), the 

main thoroughfare that brings agricultural 

goods to the Tema Seaport and the Kotoka 

Airport 

Dimples Junction, Accra 

Before 

After 

Before 

After 

5


Trunk Roads Activity 

• Construction of 75.1km Agogo- 

Dome Trunk Road, to improve 

access to the Afram Plains. 

(Bitumen Surfaced, including reconstruction 

of Drainage Culverts and Bridges) 

Agogo-Dome Trunk Road 

Before 

Temporary Bridge at Afrisere 

New Bridge over Afram River at Afrisere 

After 

Agogo-Dome Road 

Before 

6 

After



Ferry Activity: Improvements to Lake Volta Ferry Service 

• Rehabilitation of Floating Dock at Akosombo; 

• Construction of (2) two RoRo Ferry Boats; 

• Construction of new Landing Stages 

• Rehabilitation Passenger Terminals at 

Adawso and Ekye Amanfrom; 

• Removal of Tree Stumps in 5km Ferry Path. 

• Training of VLTC Staff 

Terminals 

Before 

After 

Extraction of Tree Stumps 

Extraction of Tree Stumps to enhance 

navigation and Safety 

Vehicle Deck and Passenger Areas 

Captain’s Bridge 

7


Commercial Training Activity 

Farmer and Enterprise Training in Commercial Agriculture 

• Training of 66,750 Smallholder Farmers in Valuechain 

approach and Crop Productivity; 

• Distribution to date of over 70,000 Incentive Starter 

Packs with Seeds and Inputs to trained farmers; 

• Formation of Crop Value Chains and provision 

of market access support to FBO Communities 

Field Training Session 

Distribution of Starter Packs to trained farmers 

In field Training Session 

Classroom Training Session 

8



Irrigation Activity 

• Rehabilitation/construction of Irrigation Schemes: 

Kpong Left Bank - SHZ (1900 hectares to be 

Irrigated), Bontanga and Golinga - NAZ - (565 

hectares to be irrigated) 

Bontanga Irrigation Scheme, Tolon Kumbugu 

Before 

After 

Golinga Irrigation Scheme, Tolon Kumbugu 

Before 

After 

9


Land Tenure Facilitation (Land Activity) 

• Pilot Program to register rural land parcels in Southern 

and Northern Zones; 

• Support for 10 District Courts to handle Land Disputes; 

• Training in Alternative Dispute Resolution. 

• Construction/equipping of 3 new Land Title Registries 

in Winneba, Savelugu and Donkorkrom 

Court Furniture 

Land Title Office in Winneba 

Training for Judges 

Training Session in Court Audio Recording Equipment 

10



Post-Harvest Handling and Value Chain Services 

Otwekrom 

Pineapple Packhouse 

• Construction of modern Perishable Cargo Center at the 

Kotoka Airport (Accra); 

• Construction of 3 Public Pack houses for Mango and 

Pineapple in Southern Zone; 

• Construction of 10 Agri-Business Centres (ABCs) for maize 

and rice handling. 

• Provision of 7 Pre-Coolers, packing lines for Horticultural 

Exporters; 

• Upgrade PPRSD, WRI and GSB Laboratories to meet IPPC 

Standards 

Before 

After 

Akorley Mango Packhouse 

During Construction 

After 

11


Agricultural Credit Activity 

• Provision of revolving Credit fund to 11 

Commercial Banks, 34 Rural Banks, 2 Savings & 

Loans Companies and 9 Financial NGOs for onlending 

to some 9000 borrowers in Farming and 

the Agricultural Value Chain Activities. 

• Capacity building for 480 Rural Banks Managers 

in Loan/Credit Management 

Packing line provided with the assistance of an Agric Credit Facility 

Jisonayili Tung Teeya Sheabutter Women’s Processing Group 

12



Feeder Roads Activity 

• Rehabilitation of Feeder Road Segments: 

Eastern/Central Regions (SHZ)-146.1 kms 

Volta Region (SHZ) 

- 100.8 kms 

Savelugu-Nanton (NAZ) - 110.5 kms 

Savelugu-Zoggu Road 

Before 

After 

Yong-Sandu-Guno-Kpano Road 

Before 

After 

13


Rashid said “if not because of the knowledge and skills 

gained from the MiDA Stage One training; I couldn’t 

have been able to organize these farmer colleagues 

to go into soya bean production in partnership with 

Kharma Farms. “I have realized that Knowledge is 

power and can help one fight poverty. Now I have 

the knowledge and skills which I am currently using 

to transform my life and my other colleagues in and 

around Savelugu District through Soya bean cultivation. 

The MiDA training has actually opened my “eyes” and 

given me a better future” 

Mr. Alhassan Rashid becomes an Outgrower Ambassador of 

soya bean after completion of MiDA CDFO Training 

Background 

Mr. Alhassan Rashid, a 35 year old 

farmer is one of the MCA Ghana Program 

beneficiaries in the Savelugu /Nanton 

District of the Northern. Before the MCA 

Ghana intervention, Rashid was a 

peasant farmer and cultivated between 

1 to 2 acres to feed his family. During 

the dry season, Rashid helped the Royal 

Denmark Company Ltd, a processing 

Company based in Kumasi to purchase 

soya beans from the local markets. 

MCA Ghana Investments 

Rashid was part of the 50 member 

Kpalyorgu Suglo Veela Farmers Group 

that had training in business capacity 

building and organizational 

development from Investment Protocol 

Services Limited (IPSL), a MiDA certified 

Training and Technical Services Provider 

(TTSP) for six weeks. This was followed 

up with three weeks training in crop 

productivity and improved farming 

techniques to equip them with new 

knowledge and skills in modern farming 

methods. After the training, Rashid was 

given an incentive package popularly 

known as Starter Pack, to put whatever 

techniques he learnt from the classroom 

training into farming practices. Items 

received were improved maize seeds, 

3 bags of fertilizer, a pair of wellington 

boots and GH¢ 30 for land preparation 

to cultivate a one acre maize farm. 

Rashid added his own resources and 

cultivated two acres of maize in 2010. 

He rigorously followed the 

recommended cultural practices in the 

management of the farm. That is the use 

of certified seed, germination test, timely 

weed control and fertilizer application, 

timely harvesting, using tarpaulin to 

thresh the produce after harvesting, good 

post-harvest management practices and 

record keeping. 

Immediate Outcomes 

Following the adoption of improved 

farming techniques, Rashid harvested 

25 maxi bags (100kg per bag) of maize 

from the two acres. He sold 20 bags at 

the cost of GH¢ 50 per bag which 

yielded an amount of GH¢1000. Rashid 

invested this money in cultivating 10 

acres of soya beans in 2011. After 

demonstrating hard work and 

commitment, Rashid was contracted by 

Kharma Farms, a MiDA assisted SME, 

to organize other FBOs and farmers 

within the District to grow soya beans 

for the SME. Rashid used the knowledge 

and skills gained in group dynamics to 

coordinate these farmer groups. He 

facilitated other 11 MiDA assisted FBOs 

with a total farmer population of 301 

from 9 Communities to grow soya bean 

for Kharma Farms. The farmers cultivated 

a total of 626 acres (250 Ha) of soya 

bean in the Savelugu/Nanton District. 

Rashid hopes that with good rains 

coupled with the good farm management 

techniques adopted, he will get a 

reasonable yield that will facilitate the 

transformation of his life as well as the 

family. 

Rashid’s future plan is to acquire a 

tractor of his own so that he can always 

render timely ploughing services to these 

farmers at a fee. He said this is just the 

beginning of good things to happen after 

the MCA Ghana Compact in 2012. 

14



FBO brings water relief to 

Communities 

Community dugout at Sakpuali 

FBO Members who spearheaded the Projects 

The Problem 

Sakpuali is a farming community that has an acute water 

problem during the dry season. Women and children travel 

between 3 to 5 kilometers to nearby communities in search 

of water for domestic and livestock consumption. They 

therefore spend a lot of time in search for water thereby 

reducing the time available for farming activities. 

The Intervention 

In priming the FBOs for the MiDA CDFO training, the Agric 

Extension Officer in charge of the community ensured that 

every household had a member represented in the Kpanmanga 

Farmers Association. After the priming, the group was trained 

for six weeks in business capacity building and organization 

development. 

Immediate Outcomes 

Concerned about the acute water problem in the Community, 

the Kpanmanga Farmers Association decided to put the 

proceeds of their Starter Pack contribution into dug out 

construction that will benefit the entire community. After 

harvesting, the Group Members approached the Chief and 

Elders of the Community about the possibility of constructing 

a dug out for the Community. Since each household had a 

representation in the Kpanmanga Farmers Association, they 

agreed to contribute between 2 to 3 bags per member, worth 

a total of GH¢4,900. They approached the Member of 

Parliament (MP) for the area to assist them with the extra 

GH¢ 1,600 needed for the community project. The 

Community Opinion Leaders approached a construction 

company that was working on a feeder road linking nearby 

communities in the area for the dugout construction. 

Subsequently a community dugout was constructed at a total 

cost of GH¢ 6,500. The dugout now serves the community 

for both domestic and livestock purposes especially during 

the critical water shortage period in the dry season. 

Apart from the Community dugout, the FBOs have also 

established a marketing linkage with Gundaa Produce 

Marketing Company. According to Alhassan, this linkage 

with Gundaa will save them from selling to middle men who 

offer low prices at harvest time when farm produce is 

abundant. 

15


Good Environmental Management 

Practices Bring Happiness and Wealth 

Madam Fatima Sumani in her Starter 

Pack farm 

Background 

The Tiyumtaba FBO is located at Duuyin 

in the rural areas of the Tamale Metro. 

This maize producing FBO is made up 

of 31 women and 21 men. The FBO 

was formed in 2008 to benefit from the 

MiDA intervention. This is one of the 

very few FBOs where women outnumber 

men. Mr. Ibrahim Razak, the MoFA AEA 

in the operational area who primed the 

FBO, ensured that there was at least one 

member from each household in the 

community. This was to ensure that each 

household benefited from the 

programme. 

Training 

The FBO members took the trainings 

very seriously. “Initially we thought the 

training was going to be a waste of time, 

says the secretary, Mr. Mohammed 

Neindow “but after attending three 

sessions we realized that we were 

studying new things altogether.” Bush 

fires had been predominant phenomenon 

in the community during the dry season. 

“I showed much interest in the topics 

on good environmental management,” 

says the chairman, Mr. Sayibu Lugshina. 

“During our Monthly Meeting we 

discussed how best we could 

conscientise the entire community to 

stop bush burning. We decided to put 

what we have learnt into practice to 

serve as a demonstration to non-FBO 

16 

members.” Members therefore stopped 

burning bushes prior to farming, and 

made fire belts around their farms when 

the dry season was approaching. They 

also stopped cutting down trees 

indiscriminately, destroyed chemical 

containers soon after use to prevent 

other people using them as water 

containers, and wore protective clothing 

during spraying. 

Results 

All these good environmental 

management practices did not go 

unnoticed. “One day we got a message 

that officials from the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) were paying 

us a visit,” says the Chairman. “When 

we met, their message was simple: They 

wanted the FBO help them in a tree 

planting exercise.” “We agreed to the 

proposal” continued Mr. Mohammed 

Neindow, the Secretary. “So far we have 

at our nursery enough seedlings to plant 

8 acres.” The tree species at the nursery 

include Cassia and Alipizea, 

In addition to adhering to good 

environmental management practices, 

the two training sessions the FBO 

received has helped them increase their 

crop productivity. Before the training 

their yields were 5 maxi bags per acre 

(1.25 t/ha), but now their yields are more 

than twice that. “Almost all members 

now get at least 10 bags per acre (2.5 t/ 

ha) whilst a few got up to 14 bags per 

acre (3.5 t/ha),” the FBO Secretary 

pointed out. The high yields were 

attributed to adhering strictly to what 

we were trained on. The bumper harvest 

has significantly enhanced the livelihood 

of members. Two members have put up 

three bedroom houses which are almost 

ready for use. Other members have 

purchased bicycles, while others have 

purchased goats and ewes for rearing. 

“Most important of all, remarked Madam 

Fatima Sumaini, the training has helped 

us the women to open up and speak 

boldly in public, something we were 

afraid to do before the training.” 

The Duuyin Tiyumtaba has therefore 

seen the importance of adhering to good 

environmental management, and will 

continue to enjoy the benefit. 

Mr. M. Neindow, FBO Secretary, putting 

finishing touches to his new 3 bedroom house



Members Of US Congress Commission School At Bontrase 

Six US Senators and a Congresswoman were the guests of 

honour at the commissioning of the St. Francis Anglican 

Primary School at Bontrase. The high-powered US 

delegation was led by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). 

Other members of the Delegation were Senator John 

Thune (R-SD), Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and Senator 

Mike Johannes (R-NE). The rest were Senator Kay Hagan 

(D-NC), Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Representative 

Kay Granger (R-TX). Also present was the popular rock 

star and world-acclaimed fund-raiser for charities, Bono. 

The St. Francis Anglican Primary School is one of the 

schools constructed by the Millennium Challenge 

Michael Asomani-Adem (PMP) 

The Project Manager 

for Agriculture Project 

under the MCA Ghana 

Compact. He is a qualified 

Project Management 

Professional (PMP) and 

an Agriculturist with over 

21years experience in the 

field of Agriculture. His 

areas of specialization 

include Animal Production, 

Agronomy and Post Harvest 

Management 

Mr. Asomani-Adem has extensive experience in both the 

private and public sectors. He was been extensively involved 

in designing of farmer training programme, preparation of training 

materials and supervised the training of 73,000 smallholder 

farmers under the MCA Ghana Programme. 

67,000 of these farmers completed their training and were 

classified as trained farmers, exceeding the Project Target of 

50,000 smallholder farmers by 17,000 or over 30% of what 

the Project planned to accomplish within the approved budget 

He is an astute negotiator and ensured that most of the contracts 

under his purview were executed within cost and completed 

on schedule. 

Mr. Asomani-Adem has been at the forefront of designing the 

Ownership and Management arrangements (Private Public 

Account(MCA) Ghana Program. Before the intervention 

of the MCA Ghana Program, only the two kindergarten 

classes and Primary Class one were housed in a permanent 

structure. Primary classes 2 to 6 had their classes under 

trees and on the verandah of the kindergarten block. 

The MCA Ghana Compact provided a six-unit classroom 

with an office for the headteacher, a staff common room for 

the teachers, a storeroom and a library. All the classrooms 

and offices were fully furnished. 

The Chiefs and People of Bontrase turned out to give the 

American politicians and Bono a rousing welcome. 

Partnership Management arrangement) and addressing 

sustainability issues for all the Agriculture Infrastructure that 

MiDA has constructed under the MCA Ghana Compact. He 

conceptualized the Agribusiness Centre Concept and ensured that 

the concept has been designed till such time that Agribusiness 

Centres were constructed at 10 sites: 

His previous experience include the following: 

• Farm Manager, National Goat Breeding Station, Kintampo, 

a World Bank/Government of Ghana funded Project 

• Regional specialist in Animal Production, Ministry of food 

and Agriculture, Eastern Region 

• District Director of Agriculture, Akuapem South District, 

Eastern Region 

Before taking up appointment at MiDA, he was a Deputy Director 

of Animal Production at the Animal Production Directorate of 

Ministry of Food and Agriculture 

Mr. Asomani-Adem is a graduate of University of Ghana with a 

Bachelors Degree in Animal Science and a Masters Degree in 

Agronomy from the University of New England, New South Wales 

Australia. He also obtained Postgraduate Certificate in Agricultural 

Administration and has attended several certificated courses. He 

recently qualified as a Project Management Professional from 

the Project Management Institute of Pennsylvania USA and has 

accordingly been bestowed with the Global Credentials to Lead 

and Direct Project Teams by the Institute. 

17


Perishable Cargo Centre, Kotoka International Airport 

Head Office 


4th Floor, Heritage Tower, 

Liberation Road, Ambassadorial Plaza, 

Ridge West, Accra 

Postal Address:Private Mail Bag 56 

Stadium Post Office Accra 

Email : info@mida.gov.gh or, procurement@mida.gov.gh 

Telephone:+(233) 302 666619, +(233) 302 666621, 

+(233) 302 666624 

Fax: +(233)302 -666669, +(233)302-2666579 

Northern Zonal Office 

Hse No. CM Block VI 50 

Naa Luro Estate, Tamale 

Postal Address: P. O. Box TL 2501, Tamale 

Telephone:+(233)244 454622 

Southern Zonal Office(West) 

House No. AO/259 

Near Police Barrier 

Bawjiase-Kasoa Road 

Opembo, Awutu-Bawjiase 

Telephone:+(233) 244 832426 

Southern Zonal Office(East) 

EU Microproject Stores Building 

South Tongu District Assembly, Volta Region 

Telephone: 0244791476 

Afram Basin Zonal Office 

District Directorate of Agriculture 

Ministry of Food & Agriculture 

Kwahu North District, Donkorkrom 

P. O. Box DK 97, Donkorkrom, 

Tel:034 24 -220-55/6 

Cell:+233-(0)207-293-552, +(233)24 6943664 

Eastern Region 

GHANA 

Copyright © 2012 Millennium Development Authority. All rights reserved. 

www.mida.gov.gh

MiDA News - MiDA Ghana

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