Karaga District Human Development Report 2 KARAGA DISTRICT
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
KARAGAREPORT DISTRICT 2011
HUMANResource Endowment, Investment Opportunities and the Attainment of MDGs DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2011
Resource Endowment, Investment Opportunities and the Attainment of MDGs
Government of Ghana United Nations Development Programme Ghana Office Accra
January 2011 United Nations Development Government of Ghana Programme Ghana Office Accra
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
© UNDP, Ghana 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of UNDP, Ghana ISBN 9988 ...... Cover Design by ARTBANC Typesetting by ClayDord Consult, Accra Printed by ARTBANC
Karaga District Human Development Report 2
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Karaga District Human Development Report 2
Acknowledgements
Initiation, Sponsorship and Report Advisor); Paul Derigubaa (former Writing: This is the third set of the District Programme Specialist — Strategy and Policy Human Development Reports but a maiden one Unit). The preparation of the reports received for Karaga District initiated and funded by the continued leadership and technical support of United Nations Development Programme Ruby Sandhu-Rojon (the Resident Coordi- (UNDP). Many people contributed to the nator of the UN System and Resident realization of this report. We acknowledge the Representative of UNDP of Ghana Country efforts of Dr. D. B. Sarpong who guided the Office); K. K. Kamaluddeen (Country overall project and Dr. (Mrs.) Irene S. Egyir, the Director, UNDP), Pa Lamin Beyai consultant for the field work and the writing of (Economic Advisor, UNDP); Shigeki this report. Komatsubara (Deputy Country Director — Programmes, UNDP); Kordzo Sedegah Secondary and Field Research: We (Economics Specialist and the Project appreciate the enormous contribution Officer/Coordinator — Strategy and Policy (information and validation) from the leadership Unit); Ms Mary Ankrah (Programme of the Karaga District Assembly, especially Assistant) as well as Magnus Ebo Duncan officers-in-charge of the following departments (Head, Economic and Industry Statistics and services: Coordinating Directorate, Planning, Division, Ghana Statistical Service). Agriculture, Co-operatives, Works, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Editing, Review and Advisory: The editorial Ghana Education Service and Ghana Health work comprised of structural and substantive Service. We also appreciate the contributions of editing, technical and copy editing, the following personnel of the Northern proofreading and review, and bibliographical Regional Administration: Mr. Gregory A. Addah editing as well as further study and re- (Regional Economic Planning Officer), Mr. Habib analysis of selected sections and the Shahadu (Assistant Development Planning numerous gaps identified in the report at the Officer), and Mr. Selasi Asemsro (Regional editorial stage. These were undertaken by Statistician). Prof. Cletus K. Dordunoo (team leader and Chief Executive Officer, ClayDord Consult, To all the respondents we say thank you. Accra, Ghana) as well as the principal associates of the ClayDord Consult, namely, We thank the Technical Committee members Dr. Kwaku Mensah Ganu, Mr Woeli Atsu for their inputs and validation of the report. Dekutsey and Mrs. Gertrude Missodey, The report was finalized with active among others. The advisory support, participation and in consultation with comments and suggestions for improvement members of the Strategy and Policy Unit of from ClayDord Consultancy Services and the UNDP, particularly Daouda Toure Associates were responded to and provided (former Resident Coordinator of the UN by Pa Lamin Beyai (Economic Advisor) and System and Resident Representative of Kordzo Sedegah (Economic Specialist Policy UNDP of Ghana Country Office), Prof. and Strategy Unit) of the UNDP Ghana. Amoah Baah-Nuakoh (former Senior Policy
Karaga District Human Development Report 2
Abbreviations
ACE Alliance for Change in Education BECE Basic Education Certificate Examination CBO Community-Based Organization CBRDP Community-Based Rural Development Project CBS Community-Based Surveillance CHPS Community-Based Health Planning Services CIFS Community Initiative for Food Security CSIR Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research CWIQ Core-Welfare Indicators Questionnaire DADU District Agricultural Development Unit DAEA Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness DCE District Chief Executives DEOC District Oversight Committee DEPT District Education Planning Team DFID Department for International Development DHDR District Human Development Report DWAP District Wide Assistance Projects ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States FCUBE Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education FGD Focus Group Discussion GDP Gross Domestic Product GES Ghana Education Service GHAMFIN Ghana Microfinance Network GPRS Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy GRATTIS Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Research GSS Ghana Statistical Service HDR Human Development Report HDI Human Development Index HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries HIV/AIDS Human Imuno Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
ICT Information and Communication Technology IGF Internally Generated Funds ILO International Labour Organization IRS Internal Revenue Service ISSER Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research ITTU Intermediate Technology Transfer Unit JHS Junior High School KDA Karaga District Assemblies KVIP Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas MCE Municipal Chief Executive MCH Maternal and Child Health MDG Millennium Development Goal MiDA Millennium Development Authority MLGRD Ministry for Local Government and Rural Development MMDA Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly MP Member of Parliament NARC National Agriculture Research Centre NADMO National Disaster Management Organization NBSSI National Board for Small Scale Initiatives NCCE National Commission on Civic Education NCHS National Centre for Health Statistics NDI Northern Development Initiative NDPC National Development Planning Commission NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development NGO Non-Governmental Organization NHDR National Human Development Report NHIS National Health Insurance Scheme NTFP Non-Timber Forest Products OIC Opportunities Industrialization Centres PEM Protein Energy Malnutrition PPP Purchasing Power Parity PTA Parents Teachers Association PTR Pupil Teacher Ratio
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SADA Savannah Accelerated Development Authority SARI Savannah Agricultural Research Institute SHS Senior High School SMC School Management Committee SSNIT Social Security and National Insurance Trust TBA Traditional Birth Attendant TIDA Tisongmitaba Development Association UDS University for Development Studies UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific UNICEF United Nation Children’s Education Fund VRA Volta River Authority
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Contents
Foreword ...... iii Preface ...... iv Acknowledgements ...... v Abbreviations ...... vi List of Tables ...... xiii List of Illustrations ...... xv Executive Summary ...... xviii
1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 Human Development ...... 1 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ...... 3 Resource Endowments and Investment Opportunities ...... 3 The Report ...... 5 Methodology and Data ...... 5 Secondary Data Sources ...... 6 Sampling Techniques ...... 6 Stratification ...... 7 Outline of the Report ...... 8
2 PROFILE OF KARAGA DISTRICT ………...... 10 Introduction ...... 10 Location and Size ...... 11 Physical Features ...... 11 Climate and Vegetation ...... 11 Topography, Relief and Drainage ...... 12 Geology and Soils ...... 15 Land Suitability for Selected Major Crops ...... 22 Demographic Characteristics ...... 23 Sex and Age Distribution ...... 24 Ethnic and Religious Composition ...... 25 Migration ...... 25 Socio-economic Infrastructure and Housing Characteristics ...... 25 Roads and Public Transport …………………………………………………………….. 25 Health Infrastructure ...... 28 Educational Infrastructure ...... 28 Water and Sanitation ...... 30 Markets ...... 31 Other Facilities: Telecommunication, Finance and Land ...... 31 Human Security ...... 35 Governance (Traditional and State) ...... 35
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Participation and Consultation ...... 37 The role of NGOs ...... 38 Revenue Generation ...... 38 Status of the MDGs ...... 38
3 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND POVERTY ...... 40 Introduction ...... 40 Structure of Economic Activity ...... 41 Unemployment/Under-employment ...... 43 Child Labour ...... 46 Poverty ...... 46 Food Insecurity ...... 47 Conclusion ...... 49
4 EDUCATION AND LITERACY ...... 50 Introduction ...... 50 Education Infrastructure ...... 51 Classrooms and Teachers’ Accommodation ...... 51 Structure of Directorate ...... 51 Quality of Teachers ...... 52 Access to Education ...... 52 Girl-Child Education ...... 52 Adult Literacy ...... 53 Education Attainment ...... 54 School Enrolment...... 54 Conclusion ...... 55
5 HEALTH, WATER AND SANITATION ...... 56 Introduction ...... 56 Infrastructure and Personnel ...... 56 Access to Health Services ...... 57 National Health Insurance Scheme ...... 58 Morbidity ...... 59 Malaria Prevention Strategies ...... 60 HIV/AIDS ...... 61 Guinea Worm ...... 61 Maternal Mortality ...... 61 Supervised Deliveries ...... 62 Attendance at Ante- and Post-Natal Clinics ...... 62 Child and Infant Mortality ...... 63 Child Health and Nutrition ...... 64 Access to Safe Water and Safe Sanitation ...... 64 Health and Resource Endowment ...... 66
6 RESOURCE ENDOWMENT ...... 67 Introduction ...... 67
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Perception of Adequacy of Resource Endowment ...... 67 Human Resources ...... 67 Infrastructure ...... 68 Electrification ...... 68 Roads ...... 68 Water, Sanitation and Health ...... 69 Education ...... 69 Financial Resources ...... 69 Natural Resources ...... 70 Institutions/Governance ...... 70 Hazards and Environmental Impact ...... 71
7 UTILIZATION AND CONSTRAINTS IN RESOURCE ENDOWMENT ...... 73 Introduction ...... 73 Utilization of the Resource Endowments in the District ...... 74 Human Resources Utilization ……………………...... 74 The Role of Women Groups ………… ...... 76 Infrastructure Utilization ……………...... 76 Road and Other Transport Infrastructure ...... 76 Schools/Banks/Hotels ...... 76 Information (Radio, Television, ICT) ...... 76 Housing, Water and Sanitation ...... 77 Health Infrastructure: Hospitals/Clinics ...... 78 Electricity/Energy ...... 79 Natural Resource Utilization in the District ...... 79 Water/Rivers Bodies ...... 79 Forest/Biodiversity ...... 80 Land Utilization ...... 80 Institutions and Governance …………………………...... 81 Participation in Community Development Programmes ...... 82 Satisfaction with Quality of Service Provision ………………...... 83 Assessment of Governance in the District Over the Past 12 Months ...... 84 Constraints in Resource Endowment Utilization ...... 85 Constraints in Human Resource Utilization ...... 86 Constraints in Natural Resources Utilization ...... 87 Agricultural Impact on Lands and Soil ...... 87 Forest Product Exploitation ...... 88 Constraints in Infrastructure Resource Utilization ...... 88 Constraints in Institutions/Governance Utilization ………………………………..…….. 88 Hazards and Environmental Impact on Utilization of Resource Endowments ...... 89 Enhancing Utilization of Resource Endowments ………………...... 91 Utilization of Resource Endowments and Links to MDGs ………………...... 92 Resource Endowments and Household Service Provision ...... 92
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Resource Endowments and Poverty Indicator Outcomes in the Metropolis ...... 94 Resource Endowments and Food Security ...... 94 Conclusion: Utilization of Infrastructure Resource to Meet MDGs ...... 95
8 INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES, CONSTRAINTS AND CHALLENGES IN THE DISTRICT ...... 97 Investment Opportunities in the District ...... 97 Modernizing Agriculture and Associated Investment Opportunities ...... 97 Non-Farm and Business Development Opportunities ...... 98 Investments in Human Resource Development ...... 100 Skill Training Centres ...... 100 ICT and Internet Expansion ...... 100 Securing the Natural Resource ...... 101 Alternative Energy Generation ...... 101 Afforestation in the District ...... 102 Water Reservoir Systems ...... 102 Constraints and Challenges to Investment Opportunities in the District ...... 103
9 CONCLUSION AND WAY FORWARD ...... 106 Progress Towards the MDGs and Utilization of Natural Resources ...... 106 The Way Forward ...... 108
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………….. 111
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List of Tables
1.1 Official list of MDG indicators (Effective 15 January 2008) …...... 4 1.2 Enumeration Areas (EAs) and Localities Covered by the Household Survey ...... 7 2.1 Matrix of Land Cover/Land Use Distribution in the District ...... 12 2.2 Matrix of Geology Distribution in the Karaga District ...... 15 2.3 Matrix of Soil Distribution in the District ...... 15 2.4 Attributes of Land Utilization Types ...... 22 2.5 Basic Demographic Indicators ...... 23 2.6 Access to Public Transport in the Karaga District ...... 25 2.7 Household Housing Characteristics (% of population) ...... 28 2.8 Matrix of Health Facility Distribution in the District ...... 28 2.9 Matrix of Education Facility Distribution in the District ...... 30 2.10 Matrix of Water and Sanitation Facilities Distribution in Karaga District ...... 30 2.11 Access to Drinking Water in the Karaga District ...... 30 2.12 Per cent of Household Members that Voted in National and District Elections ...... 37 2.13 Reasons for Not Voting (%) ...... 37 3.1 Distribution of Economically Active Population Aged 15+ by Industry, Status and Type ...... 41 3.2 Production of Major Food Crops in Karaga District (Metric tonnes) ...... …. 42 3.3 Estimates of Under-employment Rates (%) ...... 44 3.4 Youth Employment Programme: Number of Farmers and Acreage …………………… 44 3.5 Underemployed Persons by Industry, Employment Status and Economic Sector ...... 45 3.6 Distribution of Child Labour by Location and Industry (%) ...... 45 3.7 Poverty Indicators, 2003 ...... 46 3.8 Difficulty in Satisfying Household Food Need in the Past 12 Months ...... 48 4.1 School Infrastructure Development — 2007/2008 ...... 51 4.2 Adult (18 years and above) Literacy in Karaga District ...... 53 4.3 Karaga: Students Performance at BECE in 2007 ...... 54 5.1 Number of Health Facilities in the Karaga District, 2008 ...... 57 5.2 Type of Health Facility/Provider Visited in Times of Illness (%) ...... 58 5.3 Top Ten (10) Diseases at the Various Health Centres in the Karaga District ...... 59 5.4 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Coverage 2005 ...... 62 6.1 Nature of Environmental Hazard Suffered by Households and Coping Strategies in Karaga District (2007/2008) (%) ...... 71 7.1 Distribution of Economically Active Population Aged 15+ by Industry, Status and Type (%) ...... 75 7.2 Estimates of Under-employment Rates (%) for Karaga District ...... 75 7.3 Under-employed Persons by Industry, Employment Status and Economic Sector ...... 75 7.4 Percentage Adult Literacy, 2003: National Versus Karaga District ...... 76 7.5 Number of Health Facilities in Karaga District, 2000–2006 ...... 78 7.6 Type of Health Facility/Provider Visited in Times of Illness (%) ...... 79
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7.7 Summary of Water Use in the District...... 79 7.8 Participation in Political Events in the District ...... 81 7.9 Access to Public Services in Karaga District ...... 82 7.10 Educational Attainment of Population Aged 6 Years and above (%) ...... 87 7.11 Summary Outcomes of Household Characteristics in the District (%) 93 7.12 Poverty Indicators, 2003: National Versus Karaga District ...... 94 7.13 Household Perception about Poverty of Household Head (%) ...... 95 7.14 Household Perception of their Economic Situation, 2003 (%) ...... 95 7.15 Difficulty in Satisfying Household Food Needs in the Past 12 Months (%) ...... 95 9.1 Summary of Progress Towards MGDs in Karaga District ...... 107
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
List of Illustrations
BOXES 1.1 Calculating the Human Development Index ...... 2 1.2 Preparing for the Implementation of the Study ...... 5 3.1 Human Development and MDGs on Poverty and Hunger ...... 40 4.1 The MDGs and Human Development Indicators in Education ...... 50 5.1 Health Component of the MDGs and Health Development...... 56
FIGURES 2.1 Monthly Pattern of Rainfall in the Karaga District (2005–2008) ...... 11 2.2 Total Annual Volume and Days of Rainfall in the Karaga District ...... 12 2.3 Distribution of Population of Karaga District by Age and Sex ...... 24 2.4 Ethnic Distribution of the Population of Karaga District (%) ...... 24 2.5 Distribution of Population by Religion in the Karaga District ...... 24 2.6 Summary of Hierarchy and Interrelationships of Leadership Systems and Groups in Selected Communities in the Karaga District ...... 39 3.1 Classification of Economically Active Population 7+ by Industry (%) ...... 41 3.2 Farm Yield of Major Food Crops in the District, 2000–2007 ...... 42
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3.3 Problems Faced by Working Population with Respect to Work ...... 43 3.5 Reasons for Being Unemployed in Urban Karaga District, 2008 ...... 45 3.6 Reasons for Being Under-employed in Rural Karaga District, 2008 ...... 45 3.7 Reasons Why There was Difficulty in Satisfying Household Food Needs ...... 48 3.8 Periods of Food Shortage ...... 48 4.1 Number and Type of Schools in Karaga District, 2008 ...... 51 4.2 Proportion of Girl Children in School by Age ...... 53 4.3 School Attendance by Household Heads and Spouses ...... 53 4.4 Adult (15 Years and Above) Literacy Rate by Age Group ...... 54 4.5 Proportion of Children in School by Age and Gender ...... 55 4.6 Number of Days Children Stayed Out of School ...... 55 5.1 Time Taken to Get to Nearest Health Facility, 2008 ...... 57 5.2 Reasons for Not Seeking Medical Attention, 2003 and 2008 ...... 58 5.3 Reasons Provided for Non-registration with NHIS, 2008 ...... 59 5.4 Number of Times Individuals Have Benefitted from NHIS ...... 59 5.5 Types of Sickness/Injury Suffered During Last Three Months Before Survey ...... 61 5.6 Strategies Adopted by Households to Prevent Malaria ...... 61
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
5.7 Proportion of Households with Mothers Dying During Pregnancy or Child Birth ...... 61 5.8 Type of Personnel Delivering Children ...... 62 5.9 Mothers Receiving Pre-natal and Post-natal Care During Pregnancy ...... 63 5.10 Level of Infant Mortality by Location ...... 63 5.11 Proportion of Households with Access to Safe Drinking Water ...... 65 5.12 Time Taken to Access Safe Drinking Water ...... 65 5.13 Access to Toilet Facility in Karaga ...... 65 6.1 Proportion of Children of Years 6–16 in School ...... 68 7.1 Time Taken to Reach a Telecom Facility in Karaga District ...... 78 7.2 Land and Water Management Practices in the District (%) ...... 81 7.3 Proportion of Respondents that Know the DCE and MP (%) ...... 82 7.4 Proportion of Households Indicating Ease of Interaction With DCEs and MPs (%) ...... 82 7.5 Participation in Community Development Meetings in the District ...... 83 7.6 Proportion of Households Belonging to Associations ...... 83 7.7 Type of Association Households Belong To (%) ...... 83 7.8 Proportion of Households That Make Contributions to Their Associations ...... 83 7.9 Type of Contribution Made to Their Associations ...... 84
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7.10 Proportion of Respondents Who Have Used Legal Services in the Last 12 Months ...... 84 7.11 Household Satisfaction of the Quality of Legal Services ……………...... 85 7.12 Households’ Assessment of Governance in Terms of Access to Security, Legal Services and Access to the Metropolitan Assembly in the Past 12 Months …………….. 86 Services and Access to the Metropolitan Assembly in the Past 12 Months ...... 112 7.13 The Proportion of Households Affected by Disasters in the District and Strategies Adopted to Cope with Such Disasters ...... 90 7.14 Relevance of Resources to Households in the Karaga District (%) ...... 92 7.15 Payment for Resource Use by Households in the Karaga District (%) ...... 92 7.16 Willingness to Pay for Resource Use by Households in the Karaga District (%) ...... 92
MAPS 2.1 Local of Karaga District ……………………………………………………………….. 10 2.2 Land Use/Land Cover Distribution in the District ...... 13 2.3 Topography and Drainage of the Karaga District ...... 14 2.4 Geology Distribution in the District ...... 16 2.5 Soil Distribution in the District ...... 17 2.6 Land Suitability for Cowpea (60 Days at Low Level Farm Input) ...... 18 2.7 Land Suitability for Groundnut (120 Days at High Level Farm Input) ...... 19 2.8 Land Suitability for Cassava (180 Days at High Level Farm Input) ...... 20
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2.9 Total Population Distribution per Enumeration Area ...... 21 2.10 Transportation Network Distribution in the Karaga District ...... 26 2.11 Distribution of Health Facilities in the Karaga District ...... 27 2.12 Education Facilities Distribution in the District ...... 29 2.13 Distribution of Borehole Water Facilities in the Karaga District ...... 32 2.14 Distribution of Hand-dug Water Facilities in the Karaga District ...... 33 2.15 Distribution of Markets in Karaga District ...... 34
PICTURES 2.1 Part of the New Administrative Block of Karaga District Assembly ...... 11 3.1 Woman Winnowing Paddy Rice in Nambrugu ...... 40 4.1 A Classroom Block with some Pupils in a School in Karaga District ...... 50 4.2 A Shed Structure for Basic School Children in Karaga District ...... 52 5.1 Dam at Karaga Town, a Major Source of Water for Household Chores ...... 57 5.2 Private Clinic yet to Start Operation in Karaga Town ...... 60 5.3 A Typical Chemical Store in the Karaga District ...... 60 5.4 Karaga Health Centre ...... 60 5.5 Mothers with Malnourished Children at the Dizembilla Rehabilitation and
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Nutrition Centre in Karaga ...... 64 5.6 Public Toilet Facility and a Refuse Container Located at Karaga Town ...... 66 6.1 Donkey Carts, Bicycles and Tractors are a Major Means of Transport Due to the Poor Conditions of Roads in the Karaga District ...... 69 6.2 Karaga Police Post ...... 70 7.1 The Grain Mill is an Important Physical Facility ...... 73 7.2 One of the Numerous Masts Erected in the Karaga District ...... 77 7.3 The Newly Built Post Office in the Karaga District ...... 77 7.4 A Forest Reserve near Karaga Town ...... 80 8.1 Guest House Under Construction in Karaga Town ...... 100 8.2 New Buildings for Tamale Polytechnic ...... 101 8.3 New Building for UDS in Tamale ...... 101 8.4 Efficient Energy-saving Systems Developed by NewEnergy, an NGO in the Northern Region ...... 102 8.5 A Rain Harvesting Facility in the Karaga Town ...... 102
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Executive Summary
Overview DAEA, in close collaboration with the Karaga district also conducted a socio-economic survey (including focus group discussions) in the district This Human Development Report (HDR) in November–December 2008 and consulted for the Karaga district is one of the six human various stakeholders to ensure that their development reports prepared by the interests were addressed and technical omissions minimized. Some aspects of the Department of Agricultural Economics and district’s profile were obtained from documents Agribusiness (DAEA) of the University of Ghana that had been prepared by the Karaga district for for the United Nations Development Programme their programmes, particularly the Medium- Term District Development Plan (2006–2009) (UNDP) in Ghana. The report analyzes the prepared for the implementation of the Growth human development situation and assesses the and Poverty Reduction Strategy II. Interviews were conducted in the Karaga district using progress of the district towards the realization of qualitative and quantitative techniques, the MDGs. It also discusses the resource principally to gather information on various endowments and investment opportunities in dimensions of the MDGs and human development indicators and also for the the district and the possible effects on the assessment of the resource endowments and attainment of the MDGs, improvement in investment opportunities component of the human development and community and district report. Two main questionnaires: the community questionnaire and household action planning, monitoring and evaluation. The questionnaire were used for this purpose. The argument is that the three dimensions of human community questionnaire was completed during focal group discussions in 8 out of the 16 development, longevity, knowledge and selected communities with leaders of the standard of living, as well as the eight MDGs are communities, members of the town committees all dependent on effective resource resident in the community and opinion leaders. The objective of the questionnaire was to development and utilization. The question is obtain information on the socio-economic whether the Karaga district has recorded some development of the communities visited, resources available and utilized and investment progress in all the components of the human opportunities, among others. The household development index in recent times. questionnaire was separated into different Both quantitative and qualitative methods modules but was answered by the head of were applied to gather data from different household or his/her representative. The sources for the preparation of this report. questionnaire covered information on the Information was obtained from official structure of the household, employment, assets documents such as various censuses (including of the household, health (maternal and child), year 2000) conducted in Ghana, and the district- education, household consumption patterns and based Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire expenditures, resource endowments and (CWIQ) survey that was conducted in 2003. The
Karaga District Human Development Report 2 utilization including agriculture, non-farm skilled health professional. Many investments; access to services, political (94%) households protect themselves participation, migration (scope and reason) and against malaria. However, health risks natural hazards and their environmental persist because the drainage system in impacts. the district does not ensure the safe The approach was multi-stage probability disposal of liquid waste, and solid sampling, clustered, and stratified with waste disposal is still haphazard. probability proportional to the size of the 3. Agriculture, crop farming and livestock district. The sampling design was prepared by keeping, is key to income generation in personnel of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) the district and, therefore, drives who randomly selected well defined standard of living. The fluctuations in enumeration areas (EAs) from the GSS database food prices (low at bumper harvest and of the district. A fifteen-member enumeration high during lean season) create low per team listed and selected an equal number of capita income and inequalities. The households in each enumeration area (EA). In all, poor are those households that cannot a minimum of 240 households were chosen from hold large stocks due to inadequate or 16 out of the 162 EAs in the district. Rural and poor storage facilities and low output semi-rural households were grouped in the rural (due to crop failure or small land category to ensure harmonization with CWIQ holding); they are those with large 2003 and 2000 Population census. number of children and adults whose labour productivity is low. The The Main Findings district’s economy is yet to record significant diversification; the The main findings of the study include proportion of the workforce in non- the following: agriculture activities is low. Although the incidence of unemployment has not 1. The knowledge component of the index risen, many people would rather have has slightly improved. Gross enrolment wage than self-employment in farming rates at all levels of education in the ventures. district are better in 2008 than they 4. An evaluation of trends in the MDG were five years ago in the then indicators also presents a mixed Gushiegu-Karaga district. Adult picture. The first MDG, eradicating literacy rates also improved for both extreme poverty and hunger, was men and women. measured as: The increase in the 2. The situation of factors that can proportion of households that reported influence life expectancy at birth (the never experiencing difficulty in longevity measure) such as sanitation, satisfying their food needs in the last 12 use of ante-natal and post-natal clinics, months. About 63 per cent of the proportion of supervised births, households never encountered any immunization against six childhood difficulty in satisfying food needs in killer diseases and actions households 2008 compared with about 43 per take to protect themselves against cent in 2003, suggesting progress in malaria is mixed. An increasing the effort to eradicate hunger in the proportion of mothers reported having district. However, for many of the attended post-natal clinics, and being farming households, food availability supervised during childbirth by a could be better but for the floods
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experienced during the period. bed nets by both children and adults. 5. The district should be able to achieve 8. Another challenge for the district is to universal primary education by 2015 make significant progress in improving since much progress was made in its indicators of environmental improving net primary enrolment rates sustainability under the seventh MDG. between 2003 and 2008. This optimism Global climate change is increasing the is based on the fact that about 74 per incidence of desertification. Tree cent of all children between 6 and 16 planting has been adopted by urban years were enrolled in schools in 2008 dwellers to check the effect of wind as against 67 per cent in 2003. The storms. However, there has been no risks regarding the attainment of significant decline in the use of solid universal primary education involve the fuels for cooking. The growing uneven quality of education in the urbanization and the relatively slower schools and the evident difficulty in expansion in utilities, drainage systems providing adequate school facilities. and safe sanitation, pose risks that can These are particular concerns in compromise not only the attainment of communities other than Karaga, the the seventh goal, but also the district capital and must be addressed if attainment of goals 4 and 6. children are to attend school regularly. 9. The focus of the eighth MDG is on 6. Although the district has not yet been developing a global partnership for able to attain the 2005 gender parity development which is more the target at primary and secondary levels, mandate of the national than the district it is likely to reach this target for level. However, with respect to primary and junior secondary schools employment target, under-employment by 2015. Improvements in the quality rate among the youth has worsened in of education and the attainment of the that opportunities in non-agriculture universal primary education target will related work are hardly available for make it possible to significantly them. Many young men and women improve the literacy rates of 15–24 who have completed the JHS would year-olds by 2015. like to engage in wage employment but 7. There is significant progress in the these are non-existent. With respect to health indicators to achieve the fourth, information and communication, the fifth and sixth MDGs. About 80 per benefits of information technology are being slowly realized by residents of cent of pregnant women attend ante- Karaga District with the introduction natal clinics, although there is not and use of mobile telephones. enough information to determine 10. Agriculture in the district is rain-fed whether the prescribed number of visits thus exposing livelihoods to the is made by all expectant mothers. An vagaries of the weather. Unfavourable increasing proportion of births are weather conditions in most parts of the supervised by skilled personnel. Urban district in 2007 and 2008 meant that women have a particular advantage some households reported shocks due because of their greater proximity to to drought or floods. The circumstances health centres compared to the situation of several households could have been of rural women. Available evidence improved if the weather conditions in suggests that much more needs to be these two years had been good. done to encourage the use of treated Deforestation can affect climatic
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conditions in the district adversely. progress is made in water conservation This will pose increased risks for practices and irrigation. farming households, especially if no The Way Forward with the private sector and communities to develop water harvesting, The way forward for the district lies in the conservation and irrigation projects. following: 5. To increase the likelihood of achieving 1. The Medium-Term Development Plan universal primary education by 2015, for 2006–2009 and the Northern strategies must be developed to Development Initiative contain strategies encourage parents and guardians to send which, if effectively implemented, can their children to school at the increase the speed with which the district recommended age. The school feeding moves towards the MDGs and improves programme that is being implemented in some schools in the district is probably human development levels. one such incentive that may encourage 2. The difficulties the district faces in enrolment at the recommended age. generating the expected revenues must Parents send children to school to at least be resolved. A review must be taken of be able to read and write. If this does not the incentive and supervising and moni- happen early enough, both the parent and toring structures that regulate revenue the child will be disillusioned with generation. Insufficient resources to schooling and this creates the conditions finance development projects pose a for irregular attendance and the child not major risk to the attainment of the MDGs completing a level of education. Formal in the district. Many of the recommend- schooling is the key determinant of dations require an increase in spending intellectual ability, analytical skills and as well as improved efficiency in managerial skills needed to exploit resource use and allocation. opportunities for investment or 3. Although the present tax base is not supporting businesses as employable being efficiently and effectively skills. Thus, more effort should be made to improve learning and teaching exploited to generate revenues to finance methods, particularly in rural schools. the projects in the development plan, the The monitoring and supervision system district must be innovative in creating in the education sector must be incentives for an increase in investment strengthened to ensure that teachers are that will contribute to improving performing as they should. employment opportunities and expand 6. About half the 18 year-olds in 2008 are the revenue base. no longer in school, despite the fact that 4. Agriculture is the main sector of almost all children between 6 and 16 employment for more than two-thirds of years are in school. The relatively lower working adults in the district. However, gross and net senior secondary enrolment agriculture is rain-fed and there are few rates suggest that several children do not supporting infrastructure such as continue their education after completing irrigation facilities and markets. This is a the BECE. This is particularly so for major source of threat to exploring the girls. This trend must be reversed if wide range of businesses that agriculture improvements in human development and its services can provide. The District are to be recorded for all genders. Assembly should investigate the Strategies should be developed to make possibility and feasibility of partnerships
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
school an interesting place to go to and it. The District Health Directorate should remain in, especially for women and review the current information strategy rural children. Investment in additional and its content. years of education by the household or 9. Investment opportunities in the district individual will only be undertaken if face several challenges. To promote and further education is perceived to generate sustain investments, land tenure security higher returns than the alternative of less combined with improvements in education. The high under-employment infrastructure, financial support, markets, rate and limited job opportunities in non- appropriate technology and enhanced agricultural ventures for school leavers security, are germane. Investment in the district have been identified as incentive packages need to be developed disincentives to invest in further by the KDA, along with technical education after the completion of junior support from other governmental and secondary school. Thus, the creation of non-governmental organizations to job opportunities outside the agriculture facilitate the exploitation of natural sector will be important for ensuring an resource endowments in the district to increase in the average number of years generate income to reduce poverty and that children spend in school. ensure progress on the MDGs. 7. The district must undertake a careful 10. In addition to incentives to attract review of its water and sanitation investments, strengthening institutions to projects and plans. Much progress has secure resource bases and promote been made in providing safe water in the businesses are also important. Securing district. Yet a large proportion of the the resource base depends on credit district's population does not have access provision, generating appropriate revenues from the existing use of the to safe drinking water. This is a problem resources and safeguarding the in some urban communities that the resources. There are no institutions district should be able to address in the providing credit facilities in the district; near future. Access to safe sanitation is developing such could enhance not only lower in urban compared to rural the investment opportunities but also communities. Drainage and waste foster the efficient exploitation and disposal facilities must be provided to utilization of the natural resource reduce the incidence of health hazards. endowments in the district. 8. The District Health Directorate must 11. Revenue mobilization is critical and the review its strategy to increase the usage IRS in the district must expand its of insecticide-treated bed nets in the operations and get closer to the people district. Working with the environmental by giving them tax education and agency and sanitary inspectors, helping to ease the several logistical incentives and sanctions must be problems around. developed to encourage communities to 12. The Ghana National Fire Service and the maintain healthy environs to reduce the Agricultural Extension Services need support in safeguarding the natural risk of disease. This study has revealed resources in the district and to develop that more information must be provided agriculture beyond subsistence levels. about the components of the National The agricultural sector must be made to Health Insurance Scheme to ensure that be competitive. It is imperative to make the elderly are able to fully participate in
Karaga District Human Development Report 2
the Savannah Agricultural Research to farmers after adapting findings to Institute (SARI) conduct basic research local conditions. and effectively disseminate the findings 13. Halving the number of people whose specific issues that will enhance the income is less than one dollar and the capacity of the vulnerable to perform proportion who suffer from hunger in their roles in the farm-to-market-chain- the district will greatly depend on links. agricultural resource exploitation and 14. Encouraging the involvement of NGOs protection. The district and other stake- in the district to sustain the natural holders should encourage, support and resource endowments is imperative. help sustain the formation of various Several NGOs play specific and broad Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs). roles in the areas of agriculture, This will enable members to always construction, water and sanitation. The benefit from various training support given to NGOs by the Karaga programmes to upgrade and update their District Assembly must further be skills in production, processing and marketing of their produce. Training of strengthened to enhance the various FBOs should be targeted to address public-private sector partnerships.
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Human Development freedom.”1 Building on Sen’s analysis of poverty and capability, UNDP defines The traditional conceptualization of well- human development as a process of being in Ghana does not focus only on the enlarging people’s choices. The most critical income of a person, but also on the person’s of these choices are: the option to live a long capabilities as well as the physical and healthy life, to be knowledgeable and to appearance. Indeed, an increase in body enjoy a decent standard of living. weight is looked upon with favour and seen UNDP has since 1990 provided a as an indication of improvement in one’s quantitative measure of human development. situation in life. The concept of human The measure focuses on the three dimensions development, therefore, may be considered identified as critical to enlarging people’s as being well-suited to the average choices. Longevity is measured by life Ghanaian’s concept of welfare and standard expectancy at birth. Knowledge is a of living. This is because UNDP’s concept of composite of adult literacy and gross human development aims at extending the primary, secondary and tertiary enrolment measure of living standards or well-being rates. Standard of living is measured by beyond income to incorporate other income per capita in purchasing power parity important dimensions of living or being. dollars. The Human Development Index Although income is an important (HDI) is a composite of these three variables determinant of a person’s access to food, (Box 1.1). Ghana’s HDI is estimated to have clothing and the other basics of life, the risen from 0.515 in 1990 to 0.537 in 1995. It correlation between well-being and the rose to 0.560 and 0.568 in 2000 and 2002 income level of a person is not perfect. This respectively and declined to 0.532 in 2004. is because poor people in assessing their In 2007, the HDI for Ghana rose to 0.553. circumstances in life do not focus only on the These national aggregate figures mask purchasing power of their incomes. critical information on regional and district According to Sen (2000), “income may be level disparities. They do not provide the most prominent means for a good life information on progress made or the lack of without deprivation, but it is not the only it, by different groups in the country. The influence on the lives we can lead. If our gender-related development index also paramount interest is in the lives that people produced by UNDP, aims at revealing the gender dimensions of the three components can lead — the freedom they have to live 2 minimally decent lives, then it cannot but be of human development. a mistake to concentrate exclusively only on one or the other of the means to such 1 Sen, A. (2000), p. 3. 2 This is a composite index that adjusts the average achievement of each country in life expectancy, educational attainment and income to take into
2 Karaga District Introduction
Since 1997, the Ghana Country Office of the decentralized level, the Human Development UNDP in collaboration with stakeholders Report approach has been taken to the Box 1.1: Calculating the Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of human development. It measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions of human development:
• A long and healthy life, as measured by life expectancy at birth. • Knowledge as measured by the adult literacy rate (two-thirds weight) and the combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrolment ratio (one-third weight). • A decent standard of living as measured by GDP per capita (PPP US$).
Before the HDI is calculated, an index needs to be created for each of the dimensions. To calculate these dimension indices, minimum and maximum values (goalposts) are chosen for each underlying indicator. Performance in each dimension is expressed as a value between 0 and 1, applying the following general formula: Dimension = actual value - minimum value maximum value - minimum value
The HDI is calculated as a simple average of the dimension indices
Goal Posts for Calculating the HDI Indicator Maximum Value Minimum Value Life Expectancy at Birth 85 25 Adult Literacy Rate (%) 100 0 Combined Gross Enrolment Ratio (%) 100 0 Gross Domestic Product per capita (PPP US$) 40,000 100 Source: UNDP Human Development Report, 2004, New York. and other partners has facilitated the district level to capture more development production of Ghana’s National Human issues from the grassroots. Two sets of three Development Reports (NHDRs) to enrich Districts Human Development Reports policy. A total of five NHDRs have been (DHDRs) have been produced and launched. produced and launched: the first report, the The first set of DHDRs for three districts — Ghana Human Technology and Human Atwima, Bulsa and Tema in Ashanti, Upper Development; the second, in 1998, examined East and Greater Accra Regions respectively Public-Private Partnership in Human was based on the theme: “Vulnerability,” Development; the third, 2000 Report was on while the second set of another three DHDRs the Science, the fourth, 2004/5 Report was on the theme “Vulnerability and the on the theme “Breaking the HIV/AIDS Attainment of the MDGs at the Local Level” Chains — Human Development Report was prepared on the districts of Ahanta West, (1997) focused on Poverty and Human Offinso and West Gonja in Western, Ashanti Development in Ghana (PHDR); and Northern Regions, respectively. Development Challenge” and the fifth 2007 The third set of district human had the theme “Towards a more Inclusive development reports has also been prepared Society.” for six districts: Bolgatanga Municipal, Building on the success of the national Kassena Nankana and Bawku West in the reports and to respond to the growing Upper East Region, and Tamale development management needs at the Metropolitan, Karaga and East Mamprusi districts in the Northern Region, respectively. The theme for the third set of account the disparity in achievement between women and men. reports reflects on resource endowments,
Karaga District 3 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 investment opportunities and the attainment resources — natural and man-made, of MDGs in the various districts to serve as renewable and non-renewable — including basis for the preparation of Community land, water, minerals, human, physical Action Plans, informing the District Planning infrastructure, training and education Process. resources, access to transportation and communication networks, and the political Millennium Development Goals and regulatory environment, are the (MDGs) fundamentals that determine the pace of innovation and economic growth in that The adoption of the Millennium Declaration location and has implications for the by Heads of State in September 2000 attainment of the MDGs and improvement in formally introduced the MDGs onto the human development. Resource endowments development agenda. The MDGs were the and their economic, social and political result of the thinking that began in the mid- utilization are ultimately what distinguish 1990s on strategies to improve aid one area’s economic development from effectiveness. The MDGs consist of 8 goals, another. 21 targets and 60 indicators (Table 1.1) and In particular, because natural resource have become an integral part of Ghana’s endowment remains relatively constant or development strategy. Ghana’s successive declines under environmental pressure, the Medium-Term Development Plans (MTDPs) size of the human population that can be seek to operationalize various international sustainably supported based on the current agreements which are relevant to the poverty consumption patterns and prevailing reduction objectives and of which Ghana is technologies is decreasing hence the ability signatory. Principal among these is the of a location’s natural resource base to Millennium Development Goals (MGDs). A sustain human activity is determined by two synergy has been created between the factors: its natural resource endowment and Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) the pressure placed on it by human activity. initiative and the MDGs by the Resource endowments are therefore not transformation of the latter “into the static. They vary according to levels of mandatory framework of domestic economic technology, market conditions and consumer policy in return for the grant of debt relief” preferences. (Republic of Ghana 2005). As a result of A location rich in natural resource this, in both the MTDP and the district would attract entrepreneurs who would development plans, have matrix indicating employ the resource in production and the the linkage between identified priorities and creation of jobs. Support industries would the MDGs. follow and the cycle of growth would be There is some overlap between the human development, human poverty and perpetuated. Through this process, the gender development indices on the one hand abundance of natural resources can be and the MDGs on the other. associated with the positive aspects of economic growth. Thus the utilization of Resource Endowments and today’s resource endowments in a location Investment Opportunities reflects the past course of private investment decisions and public policies. Ensuring Resource endowments provide for the needs adequate and appropriate resources to and wants of the people in a location. These promote future innovation and growth is the
4 Karaga District Introduction task of today’s decision-makers (of which the national government must be a part).
Table 1.1: Official list of MDG indicators (Effective 15 January 2008) Goals and Targets3 Indicators for monitoring progress Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Target 1.A: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the 1.1 Proportion of population below $1 (PPP) per day proportion of people whose income is 1.2 Poverty gap ratio less than one dollar a day 1.3 Share of poorest quintile in national consumption Target 1.B: Achieve full and productive 1.4 Growth rate of GDP per person employed employment and decent work for all, 1.5 Employment-to-population ratio including women and young people 1.6 Proportion of employed people living below $1 (PPP) per day 1.7 Proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in total employment Target 1.C: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the 1.8 Prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age proportion of people who suffer from 1.9 Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy hunger consumption Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Target 2.A: Ensure that, by 2015, children 2.1 Net enrolment ratio in primary education everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be 2.2 Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of able to complete a full course of primary primary schooling 2.3 Literacy rate of 15-24 year-olds, women and men Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Target 3.A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary 3.1 Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education and secondary education, preferably by 3.2 Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural 2005, and in all levels of education no sector later than 2015 3.3 Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Target 4.A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 4.1 Under-five mortality rate and 2015, the under-five mortality rate 4.2 Infant mortality rate 4.3 Proportion of 1 year-old children immunised against measles Goal 5: Improve maternal health Target 5.A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 5.1 Maternal mortality ratio and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio 5.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel Target 5.B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to 5.3 Contraceptive prevalence rate reproductive health 5.4 Adolescent birth rate
5.5 Antenatal care coverage (at least one visit and at least four visits)
5.6 Unmet need for family planning Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Target 6.A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to 6.1 HIV prevalence among population aged 15-24 years reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS 6.2 Condom use at last high-risk sex 6.3 Proportion of population aged 15-24 years with comprehensive correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS 6.4 Ratio of school attendance of orphans to school attendance of non- orphans aged 10-14 years Target 6.B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to 6.5 Proportion of population with advanced HIV infection with access treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those to antiretroviral drugs who need it Target 6.C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to 6.6 Incidence and death rates associated with malaria reverse the incidence of malaria and 6.7 Proportion of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated other major diseases bednets 6.8 Proportion of children under 5 with fever who are treated with appropriate anti-malarial drugs 6.9 Incidence, prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis 6.10 Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under directly observed treatment short course
3 All indicators should be disaggregated by sex and urban/rural as far as possible.
Karaga District 5 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Target 7.A: Integrate the principles of sustainable 7.1 Proportion of land area covered by forest development into country policies and 7.2 CO2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP) programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources 7.3 Consumption of ozone-depleting substances Target 7.B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 7.4 Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits 2010, a significant reduction in the rate 7.5 Proportion of total water resources used of loss 7.6 Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected 7.7 Proportion of species threatened with extinction Target 7.C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people 7.8 Proportion of population using an improved drinking water source without sustainable access to safe 7.9 Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility drinking water and basic sanitation ii Target 7.D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant 7.10 Proportion of urban population living in slums improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development Target 8.A: Develop further an open, rule-based, Some of the indicators listed below are monitored separately for the predictable, non-discriminatory trading least developed countries (LDCs), Africa, landlocked developing and financial system countries and small island developing States. Official development assistance (ODA) Includes a commitment to good governance, 8.1 Net ODA, total and to the least developed countries, as percentage development and poverty reduction – of OECD/DAC donors’ gross national income both nationally and internationally 8.2 Proportion of total bilateral, sector-allocable ODA of OECD/DAC donors to basic social services (basic education, primary health care, nutrition, safe water and sanitation) Target 8.B: Address the special needs of the least 8.3 Proportion of bilateral official development assistance of developed countries. OECD/DAC donors that is untied Includes tariff and quota free access for the least 8.4 ODA received in landlocked developing countries as a proportion developed countries' exports; enhanced of their gross national incomes programme of debt relief for heavily 8.5 ODA received in small island developing States as a proportion of indebted poor countries (HIPC) and their gross national incomes cancellation of official bilateral debt; Market access and more generous ODA for countries 8.6 Proportion of total developed country imports (by value and committed to poverty reduction excluding arms) from developing countries and least developed countries, admitted free of duty Target 8.C: Address the special needs of landlocked 8.7 Average tariffs imposed by developed countries on agricultural developing countries and small island products and textiles and clothing from developing countries developing States (through the 8.8 Agricultural support estimate for OECD countries as a percentage Programme of Action for the Sustainable of their gross domestic product Development of Small Island 8.9 Proportion of ODA provided to help build trade capacity Developing States and the outcome of the twenty-second special session of the General Assembly) Debt sustainability Target 8.D: Deal comprehensively with the debt 8.10 Total number of countries that have reached their HIPC decision problems of developing countries points and number that have reached their HIPC completion points through national and international (cumulative) measures in order to make debt 8.11 Debt relief committed under HIPC and MDRI Initiatives sustainable in the long term 8.12 Debt service as a percentage of exports of goods and services Target 8.E: In cooperation with pharmaceutical 8.13 Proportion of population with access to affordable essential drugs companies, provide access to affordable on a sustainable basis essential drugs in developing countries Target 8.F: In cooperation with the private sector, 8.14 Telephone lines per 100 population make available the benefits of new 8.15 Cellular subscribers per 100 population technologies, especially information and 8.16 Internet users per 100 population communications
6 Karaga District Introduction
Crowley and Appendini,4 however, The Report notes the changing institution-resource access relationships in Africa that highlights The Karaga District HDR is one of the the resource endowments and problems human development reports prepared to associated with the participation of assess resource endowment investment individuals. Participation in land, labour, and opportunities and attainment of MDGs in 12 selected districts in Northern Ghana. The agricultural markets can determine the types report analyzes the human development and quantities of resources with which a situation and assesses the progress of the household is endowed and exploited. In district towards the realization of the MDGs. addition, markets can provide an alternative It also discusses the resource endowments means of access to land and other resources and investment opportunities in the district for households with enough capital, for and the possible effects on the attainment of instance, to rent or buy land in other areas. MDGs and improvement in human develop- Others could seek off-farm employment, ment. The report also examines how the participate in local, national, and trans- findings could influence the district in national labour markets, in order to substitute Community Action Plans, inform the District cash for land resources in their endowment Planning Process, and serve as baseline portfolio. Thus, participation in institutions information for the evaluation of the not only affects access to resources; the programme and policies for the attainment of contrary is also true: access to resources the MDGs. The report also inputs into affects participation in institutions. When UNDP’s support for the development of the there is absolute local scarcity of a resource, proposed Long-Term National Development this can often be overcome through Plan and reinforces the capacity of the institutional interactions. district and community institutions for Increased participation of households in MDG-based assessment, planning, resource exploitation for livelihoods monitoring and evaluation. (Refer also to depends, however, on the human resource Box 1.2.) capabilities within the household. Human Methodology and Data resources — the availability of the adequate supplies of labour with the requisite skills Both quantitative and qualitative methods and abilities — is essential to a thriving local were applied to gather data from different economy. Thus the failure of a locality or sources for the preparation of this report. household to improve on its human resource Information was obtained from official capabilities could lead to the failure to attain documents such as various censuses the MDGs. For instance, in today’s conducted in Ghana, and the district-based increasingly knowledge-based economy, Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire cognitive skills are increasingly important, (CWIQ) survey that was conducted in 2003. and completion of at least some basic type of The DAEA, in close collaboration with the education has become an essential Karaga District also conducted a socio- prerequisite for many types of jobs as well as economic survey (including focus group enable one to effectively participate in discussions) in the district in November– institutions and access the local resource December 2008 and consulted various endowments. stakeholders to ensure that their interests were addressed and technical omissions
4 Crowley, E. and Appendini, K (2006) minimized.
Karaga District 7 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Secondary Data Sources answered by the head of household or his/her representative. The questionnaire covered Some aspects of the district’s profile were information on the structure of the obtained from documents that had been household, employment, assets of the prepared by the Karaga District for their household, health (maternal and child), programmes, particularly the Medium-Term education, household consumption patterns District Development Plan (2006–2009) and expenditures, resource endowments and prepared for the implementation of the utilization including agriculture, non-farm Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy. In addition, various departments of the Karaga investments; access to services, political District provided information on their participation, migration (scope and reason) activities over the last five years. This and natural hazards and environmental provided insights into the economic and impacts. social conditions in the Karaga District and the strategies adopted and implemented, Sampling Techniques including in relation to issues of human In order to ensure comparability with the development. CWIQ 2003 data, a two-stage sampling An important source of additional procedure was employed with the objective secondary data was the census. Data from the of generating results that are representative 2000 Population and Housing Census were of the district. The approach was multi-stage used extensively to obtain district-level probability sampling, clustered, and stratified information on population dynamics, housing with probability proportional to the size of characteristics, employment and education. the district. The sampling design was Primary Data Collection prepared by personnel of Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) who randomly selected well- Interviews were conducted in the Karaga defined enumeration areas (EAs) from the District using qualitative and quantitative GSS database of the district. The enumera- techniques, principally to gather information tion areas were properly described by the on various dimensions of the MDGs and GSS and had well-defined boundaries, human development indicators and also for identified on maps, and were relatively of the assessment of the resource endowments small sizes having clusters of households. and investment opportunities’ component of These enumeration areas were demarca- the report. Two main questionnaires were ted along the lines of the proven process used used for this purpose: the community by the GSS in its implementation of Ghana questionnaires and household questionnaires. Living Standard Surveys (especially III, IV The community questionnaire was completed and V) and Core Welfare Indicators during focus group discussions with leaders Questionnaires I and II. The selected EAs or of the communities, members of the town communities were listed fully to know the committees resident in the community and total number of households that served as opinion leaders. The objective of the ques- sampling frame from which an appropriate tionnaire was to obtain information about the sample size was selected systematically for socio-economic development of the each stratum in the district. This was done to communities visited, resources available and facilitate manageable interviewer workload utilized and investment opportunities, among within each sample area and also reduce the others. effects of intra-class correlation within a The household questionnaire is sample area on the variance of the survey separated into different modules but is estimates.
8 Karaga District Introduction
A fifteen member enumeration team and reliability of the estimates. The was composed of Frank Appiah-Sasu, Baba stratification of the frame for the survey was Fouzi, Abukari Shahadu, Haruna Shani, based on the size of the locality the Idrisu Gunu, Idrisu Sumani, Yakubu Ibrahim, enumeration area was chosen from, that is, Abdulai Rahaman, Musah Hamza, Issahaku whether the locality is urban, semi-urban or Aliu, Mohammed Ganiyu, Alhassan rural. Sampling within each stratum was Mohammed, Abukari-Abdul Malik, Kom- done independently and the approach of bian SoFan and Issahaku Abdul-Latef. The picking the number of enumeration areas in fifteen people listed all households in each of each stratum was proportional to the the chosen enumeration areas. This was population size in each stratum. This was important because some of the enumeration followed by systematic sample selection areas had changed in size since the 2000 within each stratum. Out of 162 EAs in the Population and Housing Census and the district, 16 were selected. In all sample of sampling approach at this stage did not 240 houses were chosen from the 16 EAs. consider their sizes before the selection. An The EAs from which the households were equal number of households in each selected are shown in Table 1.2. In the enumeration area (EA) were also selected. report, the urban and semi-urban households The listing information was needed to were grouped in the urban category to ensure compute the appropriate weights for proper harmonization with CWIQ 2003 and 2000 estimation at the analysis stage. census. Focus group discussions were carried out in 8 out of the 16 selected communities Stratification to reflect the stratification. In addition, interviews were conducted with institutional The technique of stratification was employed leaders in the district. in the sample design to enhance precision
Table 1.2: Enumeration Areas (EAs) and Localities Covered by the Household Survey Locality Name of EA Category Sample Average Estimated Size Household Size Population Jamaga Jamaga Rural 15 6.8 200 Kupali Kupali Rural 15 6.8 800 Nakundugu Nakundugu Rural 15 6.7 400 Nambrugu Nambrugu Rural 15 6.8 416 Tuzie Yepalsi Tuzie Yepalsi Rural 15 6.9 126 Gundungu Gundungu Rural 15 7.0 732 Karaga Central mosque, Karaga Urban 15 6.2 770 Pishigu Central mosque, Pishigu Urban 15 6.5 800 Zinindo Station, Zinindo Semi-urban 15 6.6 790 Karaga L/A JSS, Karaga Urban 15 6.3 740 Langogu Chief’s palace Semi-urban 15 6.4 760 Karaga Fuseini’s house Urban 15 6.2 750 Sandua Sandua Rural 15 6.8 630 Kpatari-Bogu Amina Adams house Rural 15 7.2 580 Yemo Karaga Yepalsi Yemo Karaga Yepalsi Rural 15 6.9 705 Shebo Yipala Shebo Yipala Rural 15 6.7 300 Total/Average 240 6.7 9,499 Source: DAEA Household Survey, 2008.
Outline of the Report
Karaga District 9 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
The report has nine chapters. After the investment opportunities. The chapter introductory chapter, the profile of Karaga examines the trends in infant, child and District is outlined in Chapter 2 and covers maternal mortality rates and the incidence of physical features, demographic characteris- HIV/AIDS, malaria and other major diseases tics, socio-economic infrastructure and as well as household access to safe drinking housing characteristics, human security in the water and basic sanitation. Chapter 6 district, governance (traditional and state) discusses resource endowments with respect and status of MDGs. Economic activity and to the human, infrastructure and natural poverty including employment, unemploy- resources in the district. It also discusses the ment and under-employment, child labour, institutions and governance, hazards and its objective as well as subjective assessments of attendant environmental impacts. The usage poverty in the district are discussed in and constraints of these resources and the Chapter 3. This is followed by Chapter 4, effects on the MDGs are examined in which focuses on education and literacy by Chapter 7. Chapter 8 discusses the analyzing quality of school infrastructure, investment opportunities and risk factors school attendance as well as education contingent on the resource endowments. The attainment and adult literacy. In Chapter 5, last chapter then provides a summary, the the report assesses the health, water and way forward and policy recommendations. sanitation situation in the district in relation to the MDGs and resource endowments and
10 Karaga District
Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
CHAPTER 2
Profile of Karaga District
Introduction Location and Size
This report maps out the biophysical and Karaga District is one of 18 in the Northern socio-economic resources within the Karaga Region. It was carved out of the then District, as part of the District Human Gushegu/Karaga District and officially Development Report for 2009 under the inaugurated in August, 2004. It is located in headings, Location and Size, Topography the North-Eastern part of Northern Region, and Drainage, Vegetation, Land Use and roughly between latitudes 9°30’ and 10°30’ Land Cover, Climate (Rainfall and North and longitudes 0°and 45’West; and Temperature), Districts Natural/Environ- covers a land area of 2,898 square kilometres mental Resources, Physical, Socio-economic (estimated as 50% of former Gushiegu- and Human Resources. Karaga area). The details are in Map 2.1.
Map 2.1: Location of Karaga District
10 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District
The District shares boundaries with four districts in the Northern Region. These are West and East Mamprusi to the North, Savelugu/ Nanton to the West and Gushegu (the mother district) to the South and East. Karaga, the district capital of Karaga District is 24 km from Gushegu and 94 km from Tamale, the Regional Capital.
Physical Features
Environmental sustainability is the Picture 2.1: Part of the New Administrative Block of Karaga seventh of the MDGs. Country District Assembly. policies and programmes to reverse loss of Climate and Vegetation environmental resources are expected to integrate the principles of sustainable The climate of Karaga reflects a typical development. Consequently, a considerable tropical continental climate experienced in proportion of land area covered by forest is northern Ghana. There is a rainy season that critical in assessing the outcome of policies lasts from May to October, peaking in towards the realization of this goal. August and September (Figure 2.1). The rest Fortunately, both Ghana’s Growth and of the year is virtually dry. In addition, the Poverty Reduction Strategy II (GPRS II) and annual volumes and number of rainy days the Guidelines for the Preparation of the appear inconsistent (Figure 2.2). Rainfall District Medium-Term Development Plan amount is between 900 mm and 1300 mm (GDMTDP) have been informed by the per annum. Temperatures are high through- principles of sustainable development. out the year with the highest of 36ºC or above in March and April. Low temperatures are experienced between November and February (the Harmattan period). A number of land cover types exist in the Karaga District. These land cover types have over the years been harnessed into varying land use activities. Using the current satellite imagery and ground information, six cover types with two dominant ones and their associated land use Figure 2.1: Monthly Pattern of Rainfall in the Karaga District types were found in the district. (2005–2008). Shrubland occupies about 56.90 per cent of the landscape.
Karaga District 11 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
under cultivation by private household. It should be noted that about 10 per cent of the district’s land is occupied by large scale rice and mango farmers. Forest reserves, settle- ments, wasteland, roads and water bodies occupy about 10 per cent of the district’s land. The Karaga and Dakar forest reserves are the primary vegeta- tion that occupies 145 pillars (about 4,408 metres); it is less than 10 percent of the land area
Figure 2.2: Total Annual Volume and Days of Rainfall in the occupied by the district. The Karaga District. implications that the low forest cover has for the realization of Grassland, the second dominant cover, MDG 7 cannot be over-emphasized. occupies approximately 23.15 per cent, while Woodland (semi-natural vegetation), Built- Topography, Relief and Drainage up surfaces (settlement/degraded areas), Croplands (Agriculture) and Water bodies The topography of the district is generally occupied 14.27 per cent, 2.97 per cent, 2.69 undulating with numerous small streams per cent and 0.01 respectively (Table 2.1 and draining it (Map 2.3). The district has a number of smaller valleys with larger valleys Map 2.2). found towards the periphery where smaller Table 2.1: Matrix of Land Cover/Land Use streams merge into larger ones. Such valleys Distribution in the District are found in the Sakulo and Namburugu Land Cover/Land Use Type % Area (Hectares) areas. The only major river identified is that Cropland-Cereals 2.69 of the Nasia which flows between Grassland 23.15 Namburugu and Bagli. The Nasia River and Settlement/Degraded 2.97 Shrub land 56.9 its tributaries divide the district into two Water Bodies (Dams) 0.01 (north and south), making the northern half Woodland 14.27 inaccessible, especially during the rainy season. Areas to the north are thus The vegetation is a typical guinea appropriately tagged “overseas”. Tributaries savannah type, characterized by tall grasses of the Nabogu River also flow between interspersed with drought resistant trees such Dibolo and Namburugu. as the Shea and Dawadawa. The mainly All the streams can be described as savannah ochrosols soils are suitable for not intermittent. The Nasia river reduces in only grasses for livestock but also crops such volume during the long dry season whereas as cashew, cotton, mango, rice, maize, all other streams dry up completely. In the sorghum, millet, yam, cassava, legumes and rainy season, however, all the rivers bounce back to “life”. They increase in volume and a wide range of vegetables, including green flood the immediate land, thereby cutting off leafy ones. The pattern of land usage is most communities during the period. Most skewed in favour of small mixed farms with roads are also rendered unmotorable (KDA about 80 per cent of the district’s arable land 2008).
12 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District
Map 2.2: Land Use/Land Cover Distribution in the District
Karaga District 13 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Map 2.3: Topography and Drainage of the Karaga District
14 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District Geology and Soils with scattered shrubs and trees that have shallow root systems that can cope with Geology temporary water logging. The Lixisols are soils with sub-surface accumulation of low The district is largely underlain by the activity clays formed under intensive Voltaian Shale with an estimated coverage of weathering conditions. They are not very 50.78 per cent, followed by the Alluvium pronounced for crop production. Acrisols are with area coverage of 27.86 per cent. Also clay-rich, and are associated with humid, found in the district is a mixture of Shales, tropical climates. They often support isolated Mudstone and Sandstone constituting 14.14 forest growth. Leptosols are very shallow per cent while 5.16 per cent forms the soils over hard rock or highly calcareous Voltaian Sandstone in the northern tip of the material or a deeper soil that is extremely district. The remaining proportions of 1.99 gravely and/or stony. Just like Lixisols, per cent and 0.07 per cent are made of Leptosols are unattractive soils for Alluvial and sorely Shales respectively. The agriculture. The laterites are similar in sandstones due to their thermal, alkali and acidity and nutrient level to the ochrosols, acid resistance, serve as good materials for but are poorer in physical properties, with fire places, wall-covering and flooring. The substantial amounts of concretionary gravel shales could also be used as raw materials for layers near the top horizons and more suited building houses. These distributions are for road and other constructional works than shown graphically in the map in Map 2.4 and supporting plant roots systems. in a tabular form in Table 2.2. Table 2.3: Matrix of Soil Distribution in the Table 2.2: Matrix of Geology Distribution in District the Karaga District Soil type % Area (Hectare) Dystric Leptosols 2.58 Geology type % Area (Hectares) Dystric Planosols 34.34 Alluvial 1.99 Dystric Plinthosols 19.91 Alluvium 27.86 Eutric Plinthosols 6.42 Shales 0.07 Ferric Acrisols 4.87 Shales, Mudstone, 14.14 Ferric Lixisols 0.03 Mudstone, Sandstone Haplic Lixisols 1.97 Voltaian Shale 50.78 Lithic Leptosols 4.51 Plinthic Lixisols 25.38 Soils Despite gentle slopes, the soils are The soils are mainly Dystric Planosols highly vulnerable to sheet erosion and in (34.34% area coverage), Plinthic Lixisols some areas, gully erosion also occurs. This (25.38), Dystric Plinthosols (19.91%) and condition occurs primarily because of the others like, Eutric Plinthosols, Ferric annual burning of the natural vegetation, Acrisols, Lithic Leptosols, Dystric Leptosols, leaving the soils exposed to the normally among others (Map 2.5 and Table 2.3). high intensity rains (up to 200 mm per hour) Planosols — soils with light-coloured, at the beginning of the rainy season. The coarse-textured, surface horizon that shows continuous erosion over many years has signs of periodic water stagnation and removed most of the top soils and depleted or abruptly overlies dense, slowly permeable destroyed its organic matter content. This subsoil with significantly more clay than the situation does not allow the soil fauna to surface horizon. Planosols in their natural thrive, or keep the top soil layers open and state support sparse grass vegetation, often enable healthy plant roots to develop.
Karaga District 15 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Map 2.4: Geology Distribution in the District
16 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District Map 2.5: Soil Distribution in the District
Karaga District 17 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Map 2.6: Land Suitability for Cowpea (60 days at low level farm input)
18 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District Map 2.7: Land Suitability for Groundnut (120 days at high level farm input)
Karaga District 19 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Map 2.8: Land Suitability for Cassava (180 days at high level farm input)
20 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District Map 2.9: Total Population Distribution per Enumeration Area
Karaga District 21 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Table 2.4: Attributes of Land Utilization Types Attributes Low Inputs Intermediate Inputs High Inputs Produce and Rainfed cultivation of maize, pearl millet, wetland rice, sorghum, cowpea, green gram, production groundnut, phaseolus bean, pigeon pea, soybean, cassava, sweet potato, cocoyam, white yam, greater yam, yellow yam, cotton, tobacco, avocado, cashew, banana, citrus (sweet orange), cocoa, coconut, robusta coffee, mango, oil palm, pineapple, plantain, rubber, shea butter, sugarcane, rangeland (natural pasture) and forage legumes. Sole cropping, according to general crop calendars. Market Subsistence production Subsistence production plus Commercial production Orientation commercial sale of surplus Capital Intensity Low Intermediate with credit on High accessible terms Labour Intensity High, including uncosted Medium, including uncosted family Low family labour costed family labour labour if used Power Source Manual labour with hand Manual labour with hand tools Complete mechanization tools and/or animal traction with (where applicable) improved implements; some including harvesting mechanization Technology Traditional cultivars. No Improved cultivars as available; High yielding cultivars fertilizer or chemical pest, appropriate extension packages. including hybrids. disease and weed control. Including some fertilizer application Optimum fertilizer Fallow periods. Minimum and some chemical pest, disease and application. Chemical conservation measures weed control. Adequate fallow pest, disease and weed periods and some conservation control. Full conservation measures measures Infrastructure Traditional cultivars. No Improved cultivars as available; High yielding cultivars fertilizer or chemical pest, appropriate extension packages. including hybrids. disease and weed control. Including some fertilizer application Optimum fertilizer Fallow periods. Minimum and some chemical pest, disease and application. Chemical conservation measures weed control. Adequate fallow pest, disease and weed periods and some conservation control. Full conservation measures measures
Land Holding Market accessibility not Some market accessibility Market accessibility necessary. Inadequate necessary. Access to demonstration essential. High level of advisory services. plots and advisory services. advisory services and application of research findings Income Level Small, fragmented Small, sometimes fragmented Large consolidated Income Level Low Moderate High Note: No production involving irrigation or other techniques using additional water. Source: Soil Research Institute, CSIR, Accra, Ghana.
It results in serious compaction, with to the level of the soil water holding considerable reduction in rainfall infiltration capacity. The soils in the district thus have a rate. When the soil is affected by erosion and better potential for tree crops or extensive fertility reduced, it still has some potential grazing. for agriculture if their available nutrients are managed sensibly, including appropriate Land Suitability for Selected supplementation measures to restore a better Major Crops soil water infiltration rate. It also depends on the extent to which the recurring annual bush Given the marginal soils and erratic rainfall fires is managed and the extent of rainfall pattern, agriculture in the Karaga district to a surface retention to facilitate increase in the large extent is predominately small holder amount that gets to the plant rooting zones, and subsistence, given the low yields. The
22 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District major traditional food crops cultivated in the Karaga, the district capital is the only district include cowpea, groundnut, cassava, settlement with a population of over 10,000. maize, sorghum, millet, soya beans, rice and The population of Karaga constitutes yam. The cash crops include cotton and about 20.4 per cent of the district population. cashew. The land suitability maps, as shown Only eleven communities have populations in Maps 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8, depict suitability classes for crop production circumstances of more than 1000 people. All these relevant to a set of agricultural and socio- settlements are found to the western section economic conditions prevailing in the of the district along the Karaga–Sung Pigu district, which were defined in terms of Land and Sung–Tanchigu roads. These are the Utilization Types based on rainfall cropping more accessible areas of the district, at three levels of inputs and farm operations suggesting that any development of markets — low, intermediate and high (Table 2.4). may be concentrated in these areas. The erratic nature of the rainfall pattern does not promote high food yields. Table 2.5: Basic Demographic Indicators Location/Indicators Karaga Northern Ghana Demographic District Region Period 1984 2000 1984 2000 1984 2000 Characteristics Population (Million) – 0.1 1.2 1.8 12.3 18.9 Intercensal growth rate (%) – 2.7 3.4 2.8 – 2.7 The current population of Population Density (pop/km2) – 21.0 17.0 26.0 51.6 73.9 the district is estimated at % of male population aged 0–14 – 47.4 – 11.8 – – % of female population aged 0–14 – 45.7 – 10.3 – – 75,575 from the Popu- % of male population aged 65+ – 5.6 – 4.9 – – lation and Housing % of female population aged 65+ – 4.9 – 4.2 – – % of population aged 0–14 – – – – 45.0 41.4 Census (PHC) 2000 % of population aged 0–14 – – – – 4.0 5.3 figure of 62,719 (125,430 % of urban population – 21.0 24.8 27.3 32.0 43.8 for Gusiegu-Karaga) at a Males to 100 females – 98.4 – 99.3 97.3 97.9 growth rate of 2.7 per Source: CWIQ, 2005 and DAEA Survey, 2008. cent (KDA, 2008). The growth rate is lower than the regional average of 2.8 and equal to Considering that household sizes are the national average of 2.7. At the current larger in rural than in urban areas, the growth rate, the population will be 64,413 in average household size for the district is 2009 and double in 20 years. The district is estimated at 8 persons (KDA, 2008 and characterized by low population density of DAEA, 2008). 21/km2 in 2000 compared with regional and The low population density of the national population densities of 26/km2 and district indicates low population pressure and 79.3/km2 respectively (Table 2.5 and Map opportunity for in-migration to explore the 2.9). In 2000, the largest household size (11) resources of the district. It also indicates that in the Northern Region was in Karaga. the need for increased facilities and services Considering that household sizes are larger in within the various settlements to attract rural than in urban areas, the average others or maintain the people who hail from household size for the district is estimated at the district. In 2008, there were 22,278 8 persons (KDA, 2008 and DAEA, 2008). households in the 205 communities in the Over 70 per cent of the settlements in the Karaga District. District have population of less than 800.
Karaga District 23 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
48.3 per cent. This yields a male- female ratio of 98.4, a slight difference that compares with the regional ratio of 99.3. The dominance of women in the district does not cut across all age groups; it is limited to age 0–9 and 20–39 (Figure 2.3). The age structure of the district is not much different from the regional and national pattern. Figure 2.3: Distribution of Population of Karaga District by Age The structure is typical of deve- and Sex. loping countries which are characterized by a large propor- tion of the population under 15 years and a small proportion over 64 years. The population in the district is fairly young, with children under 15 constituting 46.5 per cent of the total popu- lation. This comprises a poten- tially sizeable labour force that could be tapped in future for the Figure 2.4: Ethnic Distribution of the Population of Karaga development of the district. At the District (%). same time, however, this youthful proportion also puts some pressure on the district to provide educational, health and other relevant infrastructure in order to build the skills and potential of these children to make them economically useful in future. The dependency ratio of the district is higher than the regional and national ratio. The proportion Figure 2.5: Distribution of Population by Religion in the Karaga of elderly at 5.3 per cent together District. Source: DAEA Survey, 2008. with 46.5 per cent of the population below 15 years yields Sex and Age Distribution a dependent population of 51.8 for the district as against 50.8 and 46.7 per cent for The sex distribution of the population of the the region and nation respectively. This district puts the number of women above implies that 48.2 per cent of the population is men. It shows that females constitute 51.7 required to work to cater for the 51.8 per cent per cent of the population while males form that is dependent.
24 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District
Ethnic and Religious Composition of the movement occurred in the decade before last. About 38 per cent of the people The district is quite homogenous. About 68 not born in their place of residence had per cent of the population in 2000 was Mole moved in since 2000. Dagbon, with Gurma forming 23.9 per cent and other ethnic groups constituting the Socio-economic, Infrastructure remaining 8.1 per cent (Figure 2.4). A further and Housing Conditions classification of the Mole-Dagbon based on the 2008 household survey reveals that the The availability of community amenities and Dagomba sub-group dominates with 97.1 per household assets are important determining cent. The Kokomba ethnic group forms 12 factors of the general socio-economic status per cent of the responding households in the of the population as well as the degree to sample. There were no Akan respondents. which investment opportunities can be There was no distinction between the rural explored. The following is a description of and urban population. key physical resources such as road and Islam is the dominant religion in the transport as well as socio-economic district; in 2000 the census figure estimated resources such as health, education, water, 70.2 per cent for Gushiegu-Karaga. In the sanitation and other household facilities. 2008 household survey, about 85 per cent of the respondents associated with the lslamic Roads and Public Transport faith (Figure 2.5). The district is criss-crossed with feeder Migration roads, although the southern sector of the district is better endowed (as shown in Map When people move from their original place 2.10). Access to public transportation of birth within or outside the district to other worsened slightly, especially in the rural places, it is referred to as migration. This areas between 2003 and 2008. This is phenomenon is not well developed in the because of lack of improvement in road Karaga district. About three-quarters (73.8%) conditions and/or an increase in vehicular of the inhabitants reside at their birth place traffic. In 2008, about 60 per cent of house- with 26.2 per cent living in a locality holds reported that they can access public different from their birth place. About 33 per transportation in less than 15 minutes cent of women and 12 per cent of men were compared to 69 per cent in 2003. (Refer to not born in their current place of residence. Table 2.6 for details). Most of the migrant population is adults of age range 15 years to 59 years. Thirty-eight percent of those Table 2.6: Access to Public Transport in the Karaga District not residing in their place of Period 2003 2008 Distance All Rural Urban All Rural Urban birth had moved with their 0–14 minutes 69.9 63.3 77.8 60.0 55.1 69.2 spouse. Twenty-seven per cent 15–29 minutes 13.0 10.1 16.4 14.0 13.3 15.4 had moved with their parents or 30–44 minutes 6.6 8.3 4.5 7.3 4.1 13.5 45–59 minutes 3.0 4.9 0.8 3.3 4.1 1.9 other family members and 60 minutes and over 7.5 13.5 0.5 15.4 23.4 0.0 about 19 per cent had moved Source: CWIQ, 2005 and DAEA Survey, 2008. for employment reasons. Most
Karaga District 25 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Map 2.10: Transportation Network Distribution in the Karaga District
26 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District
Map 2.11: Distribution of Health Facilities in the Karaga District
Karaga District 27 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Table 2.7: Household Housing Characteristics (% of although road conditions have not Population) improved, there has been an increase 2000 CWIQ DAEA 2008 Household in vehicular traffic. However, as is Census 2003 Characteristics Total Total Rural Urban Total evident from Table 2.6, some Source of lighting communities in the district still face Kerosene/oil/sheabutter 90.1 89.6 87.9 75.4 84.8 transportation difficulties. In Electricity 8.6 9.1 1.7 24.6 7.4 Nakundugu, over the Nambrugu Generator 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.4 Battery 0.0 0.0 6.4 0.0 4.8 river, “overseas” areas of the district, Other 1.3 1.3 3.5 0.0 2.6 vehicles do not ply the road Source of drinking frequently. Access is difficult water Inside taps in dwelling 2.3 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.9 because there are no proper bridges or compound to connect the community to other Borehole 25.5 52.4 89.6 93.0 86.5 larger towns such as Karaga. Protected/Covered well 9.2 3.5 1.2 0.0 0.9 Uncovered well 35.2 0.7 0.6 0.0 0.4 Access to electricity in the River/pond/lake 27.3 36.5 12.2 7.0 10.9 district is not widespread; approxi- Other 0.5 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.4 mately 7 per cent of households use Fuel for cooking electricity for lighting (Table 2.7). Fuelwood 96.6 99.0 97.1 94.6 96.5 Charcoal 1.6 0.8 2.3 5.4 3.1 Between 2000 and 2007, it was Kerosene/oil 1.1 0.2 0.6 0.0 0.4 estimated that the proportion of rural Other 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 households in Ghana that used Toilet facility electricity for lighting increased None/bush 90.0 94.1 85.1 63.2 79.7 Flush toilet 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 while the proportion of urban house- Covered pit latrine 0.4 1.6 6.3 14.0 8.6 holds using electricity for lighting Uncovered pit latrine 0.9 1.0 0.6 0.0 0.4 declined. This is contrary to the KVIP 7.1 3.3 7.5 22.8 11.3 Solid waste disposal Karaga district situation where less Burned by household – 5.2 23.1 21.1 22.6 than 2 per cent of rural communities Public provided dump – 3.1 16.2 52.6 25.2 had access to electricity in 2008. Dumped elsewhere – 89.2 59.5 26.3 51.3 Buried by household – 1.6 1.2 0.7 0.9 Liquid waste disposal Health Infrastructure Thrown onto the – – 61.3 78.9 65.7 street/outside The district has four health facilities Thrown in the gutter – – 12.1 15.8 13.0 consisting of two health centres at Thrown into the – – 26.6 5.3 21.3 compound Karaga and Pishigu, one CHPs Zone Number of households – 405.0 182.0 58.0 240.0 at Nyong Noyili and a clinc at Zandua (Map 2.11 and Table 2.8). In communities such as Pishigu, Educational Infrastructure Table 2.8: Matrix of Health Facility Distribution in the District There are a total of 72 schools in 55 Type of Facility Number of Number of Settlements Facilities communities/settlements within this district. Hospital 0 0 The distribution of the schools by the levels, Clinic 0 0 Health Centre 4 4 i.e. Pre-school (consisting, Creche/Kinder- Total 4 communities 4 garten/Nursery), Primary, JHS and SHS are out of 113 shown in the Map 2.12 and Table 2.9. Source: DAEA Survey, 2008
28 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District
Illiteracy is high in this district. The district High Schools (JHS) and one Senior High currently has 51 primary schools, four Junior School (SHS). It also has 16 pre-schools.
Map 2.12: Education Facilities Distribution in the District
Karaga District 29 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Table 2.9: Matrix of Education Facility than in rural areas; about 93 per cent of urban Distribution in the District dwellers and 89.6 per cent of rural dwellers Type of Facility Number of Number of Settlements Facilities used boreholes as the major source of KG/Creche/Nursery 16 16 drinking water. Wells, covered and Primary 51 51 uncovered, are also used by a few house- Junior High School 4 4 holds. The use of any one alternative sources Senior High School 1 1 Total 55 communities 72 of water (boreholes, covered wells and rivers out of 113 and springs), depends on the demand and Source: DAEA Survey, 2008 nearness of facility at time of need. A substantial proportion of the population, The total enrolment of children in especially in urban Karaga use more than 15 school within the district is 9,735, compri- sing 1984 for the Pre-School, 6,951 for the minutes to reach the nearest source of water Primary and 800 for the Junior High School. (Table 2.11). A faster rate of providing Gross enrolment rate for girls of school drinking water facilities is needed. going age is 41.3 per cent, which is 3,276 Table 2.10: Matrix of Water and Sanitation girls out of a total of 7,927 of school-going Facilities Distribution in Karaga District age actually attend school. The pupil/teacher Type of Facility Number of Number of ratio (PTR) within the district is 41 to 1. Settlements Facilities Water Water and Sanitation Borehole 69 113 Hand-dug Well 32 37 Some of the sources of water supply in the Stand Pipe 0 0 Total 93 communities 150 district include streams, dams and dug-outs, out of 113 shallow wells, ponds, boreholes and Sanitation mechanized hand-dug wells. There are no Pit Latrine 1 2 pipe-systems in the district, even though KVIP 4 10 Total 4 communities out 12 Karaga has been earmarked for supply of of 113 pipe-borne water through the small town Source: DAEA Survey, 2008 water systems, no concrete measures have been taken in Table 2.11: Access to Drinking Water in the Karaga District this direction yet. The main Period 2003 2008 Distance All Rural Urban All Rural Urban source of supply of potable 0–14 minutes 85.3 79.2 92.4 69.1 71.2 63.0 water is through bore-holes and 15–29 minutes 8.8 11.8 5.3 21.2 19.6 25.9 hand-dug wells. The district 30–44 minutes 3.6 5.3 1.5 6.0 4.3 11.1 currently has 113 bore-holes in 45–59 minutes 0.8 1.3 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.0 60 minutes and over 1.5 2.4 0.5 3.2 4.3 0.0 69 communities and 37 hand- Source: CWIQ, 2005 and DAEA Survey, 2008. dug wells which are located in 32 communities. This gives Less than 1 per cent of the people in the potable water coverage of about 31.10 per district have access to sanitation facilities. cent for a total population of 126,836 Various types of sanitation facilities are (Census 2000). Details of the water and being used in the district. There are currently sanitation distributions within the district are 10 KVIPs for public and for institutions, 3 displayed both graphically and in a tabular aqua privy and 278 household VIP latrines form in Maps 2.13 and 2.14 and Table 2.10. (these are all not shown on the map because Assess to bore holes are higher in urban areas their locations were not captured). In 2008,
30 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District the DAEA survey showed that about 11 per Markets in the area are classified into two cent of the population used KVIPs, a categories, namely: daily markets and situation which is an improvement over that periodic markets. of 2000, and 2003 in the then Gushiegu- Karaga district (Table 2.7). Flush toilet, the Other Facilities: Finance and safest facility is used by none (0.0%) of the Land households in the district. This is largely because coverage of pipe-borne water in the Post Office district is low. This poses health and environmental risks. The common practice is The only post office in the district is in the open and indiscriminate defecation. Any capital town, Karaga; it is yet to be available open space, behind houses, on foot commissioned. Thus when opened, access to paths and along roadsides are used as places post office facilities in the district will be of convenience. In terms of solid waste much higher in rural communities. About 77 disposal, there are few defined spots for per cent of urban households will be within dumping household refuse throughout the half an hour’s travel to the nearest post district (all in the district capital, Karaga). office. This contrasts with 30 per cent of Due to the sparse distribution of dumps, rural households. Some communities, inclu- household refuse are dumped anywhere even ding all in the capital town are able to access on roadsides. There is also no cemetery mobile telecommunication services on throughout the district and the people account of the extended coverage of two the practise the old age tradition of burying the companies in Karaga. Private entrepreneurs dead in the house. provide access to mobile telephone services Another source of health risk is related at a fee; hence most household heads in the to the methods used for the disposal of liquid urban and semi-urban communities in and solid waste. About 87 per cent of Karaga and Pishigu own mobile phones. The households report that liquid waste is rate of use was estimated at 30 per cent (at a disposed of on the street or in the compound. focus group discussion). No fixed line The proportion of household that disposed telephone services are available in the liquid waste either through a sewage system district. The district does not have an internet or in gutters was only 13 per cent. The issue café and none of the district offices visited of solid waste is handled in a similar way; was connected to the net. about 51 per cent of households dispose of their solid waste in places other than public Financial Institutions dumps (Table 2.7). The district lacks financial institutions. The Markets nearest rural bank is the Gushiegu Rural Bank in Gushiegu, about one hour drive The district has a market each in ten (10) away from Karaga town. However, NGOs communities, including Karaga — the such as Maata-N-Tudu located in Tamale district capital, Pishigu, Sakulo, Nakundugu, (the regional capital) have two field officers Bagli, Zandua, Sung, Bagurugu, Nyong organizing women’s groups for micro- Nayilli and Tamalegu (Map 2.15). These financing. Other local NGOs that facilitate markets vary in size and importance and are micro-finance organization is the Tisongmi- located in major settled communities. taba Development Association.
Karaga District 31 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Map 2.13: Distribution of Borehole Water Facilities in the Karaga District
32 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District Map 2.14: Distribution of Hand-dug Water Facilities in the Karaga District
Karaga District 33 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Map 2.15: Distribution of Markets in Karaga District
34 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District
These NGOs reach deprived popula- land for production of other crops. However, tions in both urban and rural communities. no concern has been indicated by any of the Urban households spend less time reaching interest groups (women and youth) yet. food markets than do the rural communities in the district. There is a major market in the Human Security district capital which is opened every sixth The number of police personnel in the day. Most (82%) people from the rural district was 6 in 2008. The district is served communities use more than 30 minutes to reach the market each market day. Majority by one police station. About 40 per cent of households in the district can reach a police (37%) use more than an hour to get to the food market. station in less than 30 minutes. Rural communities, however, are disadvantaged. Land About 74 per cent of rural households are more than 30 minutes away from the nearest Land can be bought and sold in some parts of police station compared to about 27 per cent the country. However, the system in place in of urban households. The number of reported the Northern Region, including the Karaga crimes in the district is low since most of the district does not allow outright sale. For the people prefer to use the traditional chief- private sector, large scale investments leases taincy courts. The most frequently reported are permitted. Otherwise, the Tendaana, the cases of crime in the district are assault, custodians of the land oversee the transfer of stealing and causing damage. There were no land from the village chief to household reported cases of possession of narcotic heads. Since only men are considered as drugs and rape in the district. None of the heads of households, women only have use reported incidents of unrest in the last five but not transfer rights in land. Women in the years were related to chieftaincy, land, district cannot claim ownership of land even religious, ethnic or election-based disputes. through inheritance. Migrant farmers can Petty crime was reported to be a problem in access land for farming once arrangements some com-munities, the theft of crops or of have been agreed upon with landowners and livestock. Although the incidence of crime is a small fee known as ‘cola’ is ‘paid’ out in relatively low in the district, some the form of a silent promise of giving a small households (15% of focus group participants) proportion of one’s harvested produce. Land reported incidents of theft of assets. can also be given as gifts for kith and kin to a Depending on how much is stolen and the stranger to inherit as long as one resides in situation of the household, theft of harvest, the community. for example, can render a severe blow to a Share-cropping arrangement is not household, because this can affect the ability developed; in most southern Ghana to pay school fees and the provision of communities this arrangement is the major necessities of life. option to land tenure. Access to land is not currently a major constraint to economic Governance (Traditional and activity. None of the household members State) employed in agriculture indicated that access to land was a problem. In some communities, The Karaga district assembly is the highest the expansion in the area under mango administrative and political authority in the plantation may result in the unavailability of district. Membership of the Assembly
Karaga District 35 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 comprises 24 elected members, eight Budget, Administration and Manpower and appointed members and one member of Supervisory Divisions) collaborate for Parliament. The sub-structures of the district efficient and effective management of the are made up of one Town Council, five Area directorate. There are five circuit supervisors Councils and 21 Unit Committees. The sub- who periodically undertake supervision and structures are not functioning as they ought monitoring of schools, teachers and to because there is no permanent staff and performance of pupils and the educational logistics are inadequate. Politically, the system in general. district has one constituency, namely Karaga The Works Department is in charge of and twenty-four electoral areas. There are 10 civil/public works, including building of existing departments out of the 11 decentra- small bridges, culverts, paving road surfaces, lized departments specified in Local Govern- electrical connections, plumbings, places of ment Act 1993, (Act 462). convenience and dump sites, among others. There is a District Agricultural Develop- The Department of Social Welfare and ment Unit which undertakes activities that Community Development functions as the serve the interest of food and agriculture in social development wing of the assembly. the district. There is a director, development Any issue concerning domestic conflicts officers for crops and livestock and resolution, income generating activities and agricultural extension agents who facilitate communal labour are addressed by these two the diffusion of technical and managerial departments. They are mandated to facilitate knowledge among farmers. There is a the work of local and foreign non- finance department that oversees revenue governmental organizations that wish to mobilization and disbursement. Together assist in community development projects. In with the planning unit, this department the last 5 years many NGOs have partnered budgets and plans for uses of the common the district to undertake various projects in fund and internally generated funds. It plays energy, education, food security and health. a key role in the identification and manage- The key function of the Trade and ment of various sources of IGF. The key Industry Department is business develop- source of funds now are the market tolls, ment. The Department of Cooperatives has store and stalls, other landed property (office been instituted in all districts to register and residential) and taxes from private cooperative societies, inspect their stock, and enterprises. facilitate bookkeeping and auditing, There is the Ghana Health Service that arbitration and dissolution of non-performing sees to the management of all health centres cooperatives. Although cooperatives are and CHPS compounds as well as the training organized as voluntary organizations they of traditional birth attendants. There is a can serve the thrift and credit as well as health extension system which is facilitating marketing needs of micro enterprises in the primary and public health care in the district. district. The Business Advisory Centre of the The Ghana Education Service is National Board for Small-Scale Industries implementing the policy of free compulsory (NBSSI) is also a key unit in the trade and basic education as well as the senior high industry department for organizing and school. It takes stock and delivery of training farmers and interested groups in requisite textbooks and sees to it that the alternative livelihood ventures. Govern- syllabus is completed. It uses a structure that ment’s MCA programme selected the Karaga ensures that the various departments district as part of the pilot districts. Thus in (Statistics and Research, Planning and collaboration with the Agricultural Develop-
36 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District ment Unit, cooperatives and NBSSI, several assemblies report periodically to the general groups of farmer-based organizations are public. Probity and accounta-bility was being trained in business planning and questioned by many of the respondents financial management techniques to improve during group discussions (DAEA Household access to credit and the utilization of Survey, 2008). improved technology for increased output and labour productivity. The Disaster Pre- Participation and Consultation vention Department is operated as the Participation in district and national elections national disaster management organization is quite high. About 80 per cent of the (NADMO) which is mandated to cross-cut population aged 18 years and over voted in the activities of all departments. It engages in the 2004 national and 2006 district elections. the training of groups and communities for The propensity to vote was almost the same the prevention of fires, floods and the among women and men and among the urban management of disease and pest outbreaks. The Central Administration is made up and rural electorate (Table 2.12). of the coordinating directors and planning Table 2.12: Per cent of Household Members officers who plan and coordinate the that Voted in National and District Elections activities of all the decentralized and non- Sex/Location District National decentralized departments. The non-decen- All 80.24 81.73 tralized departments include the fire and Male 78.86 85.80 security services. The district is also close to Female 88.34 82.26 the University for Development Studies Urban 89.43 84.79 Rural 77.76 83.27 (Tamale and Navrongo campuses). Source: DAEA Survey, 2008. The weakness of the sub-structures adversely affects participation and the flow Most of those who did not vote in the of information between the District Assem- district elections did not do so because they bly and the citizens. Participation is an were not eligible to vote (Table 2.13). About important aspect of the Heavily Indebted a third of those who did not vote did not do Poor Countries initiative that Ghana was so because they were not registered or were involved. Plans and projects are expected to not in the constituency at the time of the benefit from the input of the general public. elections. An insignificant proportion repor- About 65 per cent of the population aged 18 ted that it was because they were ill or years and above (46 per cent of men and 42 injured. This probably means that they were per cent of women) had been consulted prior not able to travel to the polling station. A few to the start of community projects. However, men, however, reported that they did not vote none of the members of the households surveyed knew how much had been allocated in the district elections because of lack of to the district in 2006 through the Table 2.13: Reasons for Not Voting (%) District Assemblies Common Fund. As Reason All Urban Rural Men Women observed in many districts, there is lack District of knowledge of the workings of the Not registered to vote 33.8 59.5 29.5 57.6 31.4 Assembly by the citizens. Many people Not eligible to vote 41.9 19.0 41.9 39.0 11.9 Not in the country 0.8 0.0 0.9 0.0 0.9 are not interested in finding out the Do not care to vote 5.5 0.0 7.4 7.5 0.0 details about the situation concerning Ill/injured 3.7 0.0 4.5 2.0 6.5 Other 14.4 7.1 14.5 7.1 14.5 financing and administration. In other National instances, it has been noted that there is Not registered to vote 20.0 13.5 51.4 33.4 31.5 no process that ensures that the district Not eligible to vote 61.1 60.9 34.3 40.9 54.3 Not in the country 0.7 1.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 Do not care to vote 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Ill/injured 6.6 8.6 0.0 7.6 1.0 Karaga District Other 37 11.7 16.1 14.4 11.1 19.4 Source: DAEA Survey, 2008. Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 interest. nity Initiative for Food Security (CIFS) are Ineligibility was the main reason why also on-going with support from both about 60 per cent of those who did not vote government and NGOs. in the 2004 national elections were not able to do so. The incidence of apathy was the Revenue Generation same with respect to the national and the district elections. The 2006–2009 Medium- Like all districts, the major sources of Term Development Plan for the district revenue for the district are basic rates, lands contains strategies to address the problems of and forestry, fees/fines and licenses and the local governance. There are plans to improve District Assemblies Common Fund. Fees/ and expand participation through building fines and licenses account for more than 70 the capacity to participate, facilitating regular per cent of the revenue generated by the interaction between the Area Council and Assembly. Estimates of revenue levels were committees and increasing the participation not communicated; and were described as of women in public life. The traditional low in 2007/2008. The Assembly was not system is organized as a chieftaincy institu- able to attain its revenue target in the three- tion. There is a paramount chief and elders year period. Like many districts, perfor- who interact closely with the state authorities mance in revenue generation as measured by to ensure rapid design and implementation of the ratio of actual revenues generated to projects that affect all members of the budgeted revenues has been low. The poor community. The leadership of both the state revenue generation effort has been attributed and traditional governance system is domina- to the newness of the district, unwillingness ted by men (see Figure 2.6). Women of citizens to pay basic rates, the failure of empowerment activities of the last few revenue collectors to pay in all monies decades suggest that with increased adult collected to the Assembly, and the absence of literacy, participation of women in political a database on economic activities in the governance activities could improve. Partici- district. The poor revenue performance pation in traditional governance by women is compromises the ability of the district to tied to religion and mystic values that die implement its development plan successfully. hard. Progress towards the attainment of the MDGs such as ensuring environmental The Role of NGOs sustainability and improving maternal health care are dependent on increased investments There are Non-Governmental Organizations by the district administration in sanitation, (NGOs) and other donors in the district who drainage, water and health infrastructure. have been assisting in terms of socio- economic activities. The World Vision, Status of the MDGs Catholic Church, UNICEF, UNDP, Church of Christ, Opportunities Industrialization The medium-term development plan of the Centres (OIC), New Energy, and Water Aid, Karaga district (2006–2009) recognizes that among other locally organized ones like the for the effective attainment of the MDGs, TIDA have been acknowledged. Program- key issues for development should include mes such as Alliance for Change in Educa- the following: Strengthening of district sub- tion (ACE), District-Wide Assistance Pro- structures; Enactment, gazetting and enforce- jects (DWAP), and Community-based Rural ment of bye-laws; Protection of vulnerable Development Project (CBRDP) and Commu- and excluded groups; Revenue mobilization,
38 Karaga District Profile of Karaga District utilization and management; Security and civic protection; and Women participation in decision-making and politics. As at end of 2008, social amenities and access by house- holds was low; revenue mobilization, utiliza- tion and management were weak; and women’s participation in governance and decision-making was not significant, among others.
Karaga District 39 Karaga District Human Development Report 2010
NAYIRI (PARAMOUNT OFFICE OF THE CHIEF) man DISTRICT CHIEF EXECUTIVE man
ASSEMBLY MAN ELDERS/CHAIRMAN SUB-CHIEFS — men (85%); women 90% men 100% men (15%)
UNIT UNIT C’TEE C’TEE MEMBERS — HOUSEHOLD HEADS — CHAIRMAN 80% Men 99% men 100% —Man
MEMBERS OF HOUSEHOLD LEADERS OF Men (25%), Women (25%), boys COMMUNITY BASED (20%), girls (30%) ORGANIZATIONS – 80% Men and 20%
MEMBERS OF
COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS – 50%
Men and 50% Women
Legend: = Flow of power (authority, command and control of resources)
= Advice or counsel
Figure 2.6: Summary of Hierarchy and Interrelationships of Leadership Systems and Groups in Selected Communities in Karaga District. Source: Impression of researcher, as described during focus group discussion.
40 Karaga District Economic Activity and Poverty CHAPTER 3
Economic Activity and Poverty
Introduction
Economic activities include income generating activities. When one is employed or actively engaged, it becomes an important route out of poverty and can be instrumental in the improvement of well-being. However, whether these expected benefits of employment will be realized depends on productivity, remuneration and other condi- tions attached to employment. In countries such as Ghana, a Picture 3.1: Woman winnowing paddy rice in Nambrugu. significant proportion of the poor about 28 per cent in 2005. However, the trend and people with low levels of human is not uniform across sex, region and development have jobs of some kind. Low economic activity. Essentially, the incident of productivity and limited opportunities to poverty is higher among food crop farmers translate output, particularly agricultural and in rural areas where most people in output, into income can explain this. Karaga District live. See for example Picture 3.1. Indeed, eradication of extreme poverty Box 3.1: Human Development and MDGs on Poverty and Hunger and hunger by 2015 is one of the MDGs (see Box 3.1). In the Ghana Poverty Reduction Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) Strategy (GPRS I), Ghana pursed the anti- Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger poverty objectives of the MDGs. Within this — Reduce by 50 per cent of the 1990 level framework, the focus of the Karaga District the proportion of people whose income is less than one US Dollar a day by 2015 Assembly is mainly to pursue strategies that — Reduce the proportion of people who will promote growth, reduce poverty and suffer from hunger by 50 per cent improve the quality of life. The district’s between 1990 and 2015 Medium-Term Development Plan for Human Development agriculture is to adopt modern techniques to Ensure a decent standard of living ensure job and wealth creation. The plan seeks to ensure food security, reduce post- The 1990s saw a considerable reduction harvest losses, facilitate increase in the in the incident of poverty in Ghana, from production of non-traditional exports and about 52 per cent in 1992 to about 40 per cent promote effective and efficient output in 1999. The incident further declined to processing and marketing systems.
Karaga District 41 Karaga District Human Development Report 2010
Structure of Economic Activity Table 3.1: Distribution of Economically Active Population Aged 15+ by Industry, Agriculture and related activities such as Status and Type forestry and hunting are the main economic Industry 2000 2003 2008 Agriculture 83.0 73.8 95.0 activities in the district, although the share of Fishing 0.0 0.0 0.0 labour force in agriculture and fishing has Manufacturing 7.2 0.3 1.6 dwindled since 2000. Over 95 per cent of the Construction 0.0 1.3 0.8 Wholesale/Retail Trade 5.5 15.0 0.6 economically active population aged 7 years Other Services 1.4 3.0 0.2 and above is engaged in farming (Figure 3.1) Community Services 0.0 6.4 0.5 with more men engaged in agriculture than Other Industrial 2.7 0.3 1.4 women. According to the Northern region Activity Status 2000 2003 2008 2000 census, agriculture was the main source Self-employed 77.3 69.2 73.5 of livelihood for 296,954 men aged 15 years Wage Employment 2.5 1.5 3.3 and above (representing 77.4% of the male Family Worker 16.9 26.7 22.5 labour force) as against 221,030 women Apprentice/Student – 1.2 0.2 Other 3.3 1.3 0.5 (representing 64.3% of female labour force). Main Employer 2000 2003 2008 According to the 2003 CWIQ survey Public 1.7 1.1 0.5 results, the population of women in wage or Private Formal 13.7 0.9 14.9 regular employment in non-agricultural Private Informal 83.8 96.5 84.0 Others 0.8 1.5 0.6 sectors increased from 2.2 t to 6.0 per cent, Source: Ghana Statistical Service, 2000 & 2003 possibly indicating an improvement in terms and DAEA Household Survey, 2008. of women’s economic empowerment as contained in MDG 3. The district witnessed The major food crops grown in the area an increase in the proportion of labour force are yam, cassava, rice, maize, millet, sorg- in agriculture as against manufacturing, trade hum, cowpea and vegetables, while and community services. Between 2000 and groundnut and soybeans remain the main 2008, the share of agriculture in econo- cash crops. Food crop production is generally mically active population increased from 83 on subsistence basis while groundnut and per cent to 97 per cent compared with the low soybeans are mainly grown for commercial share of manufacturing, trade and community purposes, but as small holder farms. In recent services in economically active population times, however, mango and cashew cultiva- (Table 3.2). tion appear to be gaining ground as a major cash crop, in the district. The mango and cashew are mostly grown on a large scale since they are tree crops. One notable challenge, however, is that the increasing use of the land for mango and cashew plantations may deprive food crop farmers of access to land for cultivation. Crop farming practices in the district are generally based on the traditional system of compound Figure 3.1: Classification of Economically Active Population 7+ farming, shifting cultivation by Industry (%). and/or rotational bush fallow.
42 Karaga District Economic Activity and Poverty
With no irrigation facility in the area, crop major impediments to productivity in agri- agriculture is rain-fed and productivity in culture in the district. terms of farm yield (defined as output per Generally, agricultural production in the hectare) largely depends on the volume and district has been mixed. The total production timing of rainfall and the fertility of the soil. of crops has been on a general decline since As seen in Figure 3.2, yield for the major 2000. Yam and rice have suffered the greatest crops has seen a general rising trend since the decline; cassava and maize appear to have last decade. improved (Table 3.2). Fishing largely takes place in the Nambrugu River and provides employment for about 1 per cent of the work-force in the district in 2008. River fishing is a male- dominated activity and usually one for home consumption. The majority of fishermen use basic tools such as nets and canoes. Livestock rearing is also a major farming activity for all households in Karaga. Animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, donkey, pigs, guinea fowls and other birds are raised. Figure 3.2: Farm Yield of Major Food Crops in the District, There is, however, no official 2000–2007. statistics for the district. However, Source: Data from SRID, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Accra. it is estimated that there has been However, the district has not been able over 10 per cent increase in production for to halt and reverse the continuous decline in sale of cattle, sheep and goat (Cattle market yield of groundnut and sorghum since 2004. observer). During focus group discussions with community leadership groups, it was Table 3.2: Production of Major Food Crops in revealed that soil fertility has Karaga District (Metric tonnes) diminished considerably on account of Year Maize Rice Yam Millet Sorghum Cowpea 2000 3,600 15,400 40,000 5,200 3,700 3,000 continuous land use for cultivation. 2001 3,409 1,188 24,750 1,958 1,700 3,240 Unaffordable prices have constrained 2002 7,158 5,542 47,500 4,568 3,400 2,880 the use of fertilizer by many farmers. 2003 11,250 6,250 41,310 5,220 3,600 3,600 In addition, the majority of farmers use 2004 1,157 241 3,892 143 289 5,603 2005 11,041 5,879 67,959 3,720 6,368 5,603 simple tools such as cutlasses and hoes, Source: SRID, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Accra. as tractor services are beyond the pockets of many poor farmers in most The 2008 DAEA survey data suggests communities. The limited number of that each household could own a mean of 10 agricultural extension officers is also a major animals. The maximum record was 50 for constraint to higher production in the district. cattle and the minimum recorded was 1 for all Available data from Agricultural Extension the livestock There are more livestock in Service in the district revealed that the rural households than in urban Karaga. number of farmers under the care of only one Females can own any animal although they extension officer was about 1000. The held fewer animals than their male combination of these factors constitutes the counterparts in 2008. For instance, for cattle,
Karaga District 43 Karaga District Human Development Report 2010 sheep, goat and guinea fowl the mean number facing farmers in the district. The effect of owned by one male was 6, 5, 3, and 7 natural weather conditions can be minimized respectively. if appropriate technology is made available The mean number owned by one female is 1, 1, 3, and 5. Informal sector employment is dominant in the district, with the proportion of women engaged in the sector being the same as that of men. Data from various sources including DAEA survey suggest that over 97 per cent of the entire workforce in the district is engaged in informal activity, with the majority of them in agriculture. About 3 per cent of the labour force is employed by Figure 3.3: Problems Faced by Working Population with the government in 2008 as against Respect to Work. 97 per cent engaged in the private Source: 2008 DAEA Household Survey. sector (Table 3.2). and accessible to producers. The initial cost In terms of status of employment, self- of high technology inputs such as machines, employment in the informal sector remains pesticides, improved seed and fertilizers were the dominant type, increasing from 69 per likely to be high. This brings to the fore the cent in 2003 to 73.5 per cent in 2008 (Table urgent need to establish more financing 3.2). It accounts for 87 per cent of women schemes for farmers, traders and manufactu- and 86 per cent of men. Wage employment in rers, not only to enhance economic activity the district has slightly increased from 1.5 per but also to and increase production. cent in 2003 to about 3 per cent in 2008. Access to wage employment is higher among Unemployment/Under- men than women while a higher proportion of employment women are engaged in unpaid family jobs than men. Most of the unpaid family workers The incidence of joblessness is one of the help their parents and husbands on the farm. critical indicators for assessing the state of The slight sharp increase in 2003 and then a economic and social development in any decrease in the proportion from about 27 per community or country. According to the cent in 2003 to about 22 per cent in 2008 International Labour Organization (ILO), a suggest that commitment to family work is person is said to be “unemployed” if he/she is not stable; family labour cannot be relied available but does not have a job and is upon for business activities. actively looking for work. The rate is A number of challenges were reported to measured by the proportion of the economi- be confronting the working population in the cally active population who are unemployed. Karaga district. Lack of finance tops the list However, in the DAEA survey, there was no of problems and was mentioned by all the indication of unemployment since every adult respondents as the major problem (Figure who was able and wanted to work always had 3.3). High cost of input and erratic weather work in the farm. Thus the unemployed in conditions were the other major problems this study are basically the under-employed,
44 Karaga District Economic Activity and Poverty those who said they were looking for more and in 2008; the situation was reversed with hours of wage employment in non-farm the rate becoming higher among women than economic activities. men by 0.5 percentage points. Contrary to expectation, the 2008 Table 3.3: Estimates of Under-employment Rates (%) rural-urban dimension of under- Youth Location & Adult (15+) (15–24) employment goes against the assertion Gender 2003* 2003 2008 2008 that unemployment/under-employment Ghana is an urban phenomenon. The urban 33.3 13.6 – – All unemployment rate was lower than the Karaga District Men – – 42.0 33.2 rural rate by 7 percentage points. In Women 42.5 36.8 2003 the national urban unemployment All 30.9 5.9 42.2 35.1 Rural rate was higher than the rural rate by 7.9 Men – – 47.1 41.6 percentage points. However, the under- Women – – 45.8 41.8 employment rate in 2003 followed the All 29.7 14.9 46.0 41.7 Urban 2008 trend; it was higher in the rural Men – – 39.0 27.9 than the urban by 2.8 percentage points. Women – – 39.0 29.5 There is also a marked difference in All 37.6 12.1 39.0 28.5 underemployment rates among the rural Source: 2000 Census & 2003 CWIQ (GSS) and 2008 DAEA Household Survey. and urban youth aged 15–24 years. In Note: 2003* shows the unemployment rate for Gushiegu- 2008, the rural rate was higher than the Karaga in 2003. urban rate by 13.2 percentage points. This is probably because of the National Different estimates of the unemploy- Youth Employment Programme that, which ment rates for different periods for the was initiated in 2006 to provide employment Karaga district, (2003 CWIQ, and DAEA 2008 Survey data) are presented in Table 3.3. for the youth in Karaga. Based on the two sources, the under- Table 3.4: Youth Employment Programme: employment rate has increased in the district Number of Farmers and Acreage under since 2003. The rate rose sharply above the Cultivation national and district levels in 2003, No. of No. of individual Land under suggesting that on the average, more people Groups farmers cultivation by Groups 32 Male Female 527 254 781 were finding it difficult to secure non-farming 432 210 jobs in the district than in the entire country. Total 642 The rate increased from 5.9 per cent in 2003 Source: DADU Karaga, 2008. to 42.2 per cent in 2008. The jobless and under-employment rate Apart from the health extension services, has always been slightly higher among men agriculture was targeted. It aimed at sending than women. In 2000, the adult unemploy- back to the land the willing unemployed ment rate in the entire country was 10.1 per urban youth and also to increase production cent among men as against 10.7 per cent of of agricultural produce. The district regis- women while 7.2 per cent of men and 7.1 per tered 32 youth groups representing 642 cent of women in the district were found to individual farmers across the district. A total be unemployed. Similarly, the unemployed of 781 acres of land was ploughed under the rate among men in 2003 was higher than the programme for the cultivation of maize and rate among women by 0.1 percentage points
Karaga District 45 Karaga District Human Development Report 2010
(Figures 3.4 and 3.5). Seasonality is the second most important reason for under or unemployment. There are a few people who do not work because of old age or disability. Many of the youth who are not working attributed it to school attendance. This is good for the future manpower needs of a new and growing district such as Karaga, especially if those who complete basic education can continue with secondary education. Figure 3.4: Reasons for Being Unemployed in Urban Karaga Agriculture and related activities District, 2008. account for 92 per cent of the under-employed; manufacturing (5%), wholesale and retail trade (2.6%) followed by community/ social services (0.3%). For details see Table 3.5. Most of the under- employed operate in the informal sector as self-employed sub-sector without employees, with about 3 per cent working in the formal sector. These developments confirm the popular perception that underemployment is generally high among informal sector operators
Figure 3.5: Reasons for Being Under-employed in Rural Karaga who are mostly self-employed with District, 2008. no employees, and in the agricultural sector. soya beans (Table 3.4). Fertilizer and seeds were supplied by the government for the Table 3.5: Under-employed Persons by 2006 planting season. A total of 1,500 bags of Industry, Employment Status and Economic Sector fertilizer and 50 mini bags of maize seeds Industry % were supplied for distribution to farmers. Agriculture & Related Activities 92.0 Lack of job opportunities, apart from Manufacturing 5.0 farming, has been observed as the main Construction 0.1 reason for the increasing incidence of under- Wholesale & Retail Trade 2.6 Community/Social Services 0.3 employment in both rural and urban areas of Employment Status % the Karaga districts. The results of the Self-employed, no employees 76.0 household survey reveal that about 12 per Casual employee 0.5 cent of under-employed adults claim that they Regular employee 0.2 Unpaid family worker 23.3 could not find any job apart from farming Sector % though they were available for work. There Public 0.5 was a slight difference among rural and urban Private Formal 9.0 households as well as men and women Private Informal 90.5 Source: 2003 CWIQ, (GSS). 46 Karaga District Economic Activity and Poverty
Child Labour Others, including human poverty index, capture dimensions of deprivation such as Child labour in this report refers to children survival, knowledge and standard of living. aged between 7 and 14 who are engaged in Survival, defined as vulnerability to death is paid work. In 2003, the CWIQ data showed measured by the proportion of the population that about 5 per cent of children were that will not see their 40th birthday. employed in the district. In the 2008 DAEA Knowledge is measured as the adult literacy household survey, about 6 per cent of rate which captures the degree of exclusion of children were reported to have worked. The the population from the world of reading and working children were mostly located in the communication. The ability to have a decent rural areas and there was not much difference standard of living is measured by the between the proportion of boys and girls who proportion of the population without access to were working. All the children were engaged safe drinking water, health services, and the in agriculture-related activities (97%). See proportion of the underweight children below Table 3.6 for details, probably as farm five years. labourers (during planting) and were assistants during shea butter and groundnut Table 3.7: Poverty Indicators, 2003 oil processing. They also acted as sale repre- Location National Karaga District sentatives during market days. Human Poverty Index 41.8 – % Adult illiteracy 46.6 90.6 Table 3.6: Distribution of Child Labour Male 33.8 83.6 by Location and Industry Female 57.5 96.8 Location % % without access to: health service 42.3 73 Urban 0.0 Rural 57.6 Boys 0.1 Urban 21.4 Girls 0.0 All 0.0 % without access to safe: Rural water 25.8 39 % Rural 36.9 Boy 17.8 Urban 12.6 Girl 17.9 % underweight children All 17.8 All 25.8 34.6 Industry % Boys 27.8 Agriculture 97.0 Girls 23.8 Manufacturing 1.0 Source: 2003, CWIQ (GSS). Wholesale/Retail Trade 2.0
Source: DAEA, 2008. In 2000, the population census results Poverty showed that poverty in Ghana was relatively high among food farmers. Being a The first goal of the United Nations MDGs is predominantly rural district with farming as the eradication of extreme poverty and the main economic activity, Karaga district hunger (Box 3.1). Poverty is inability to has a direct link with the national poverty afford an adequate standard of consumption. situation. Using the CWIQ 2003 data, the The poor have limited access to basic poverty situation in the district is captured by services related to financial, natural, human, the relevant indicators presented in Table 3.7. physical and social resources. In assessing the Indeed, the adult illiteracy rate has remained situation of poverty, the head count measures about 91 per cent since 2003 compared to the based on the 2000 census data is applied. national average of about 47 per cent; about 73 per cent of the population was without
Karaga District 47 Karaga District Human Development Report 2010 access to health services as against 47.6 against only 15 per cent who considered the nationwide and the proportion of children economic situation to be a little or much underweight for the district was higher than better. In 2003, about 30 per cent of the the national average. Access to safe water population was not very happy with their was low (39%) although higher than the situation and 4.2 per cent were dissatisfied national average of only 26 per cent. There is with their household financial situation. clear evidence that the incidence of poverty is Hence about 47 per cent of the population higher in the rural than urban areas. There is described themselves as poor or very poor, also gender disparity. It is seen in both the similar to the national situation. Urban adult illiteracy rate and children under households perceived themselves better off. weight, suggesting that women and girls are During community discussions, how- more vulnerable than men, and Rural ever, a few communities indicated that life in populations are more vulnerable than urban the community was better than years before. populations. Rural women should be targeted They gave a number of reasons for the in all poverty reduction programmes. improvement. These communities had been Based on the 2007 poverty line of provided with electricity, water, schools and GH¢371.00 per annum (ISSER 2008) and the clinics which were lacking in the past. global US$1.00 per day, the average annual Increased commercial activities, the income of a typical household of eight (8) capitation for schools and free primary was estimated during focus group discussions education, vocational education for the youth in the Karaga district in 2008. It was and improvement in literacy rates were other estimated that each household earned reasons cited for the perception of improved approximately GH¢1000.00 per annum. This conditions of life in communities. implies that the per capita income is GH¢0.305 per day GH¢124.97 per annum. Food Insecurity This is below the poverty line of US$1.00 per The eradication of hunger is one of the person per day or GH¢371.00 per annum, primary concerns of the MDGs (Box 3.1). In indicating a high poverty situation in Karaga. this report, the proportion of households that Most of the income earned by households is faced difficulty in meeting food needs is used re-invested in agricultural production (62%); to capture the progress made in eradicating other expenditure centres include household extreme hunger in the Karaga District. Table asset development (20%) child education 3.8 presents a picture of the hunger situation (10%), medicare and food (3%), social in the district in 2003 and 2008. Generally, functions and other expenses (5%). food security does not seem to be a major The overall assessment of the economic challenge in the district. In 2003, less only 13 situation of the communities visited in 2008 per cent of households complained often or by households suggests that communities always experienced difficulties in household were worse off than in the previous years. food supply. Many (42.5%) never expe- This is based on the claim by at least 50 per rienced difficulty. In the 2008 survey, about cent of households that the economic 62 per cent of households indicated that they situation of communities was much or a little never encountered any difficulty in satisfying worse in 2003 than in the previous year food needs in 2008 compared with the 43 per cent in 2003, suggesting progress in the effort 5 Assuming that there is 365 days a year, the per to eradicate hunger in the district. capita income is evaluated as: 1000/(365×8) = 1000/2920 = 0.3424.
48 Karaga District
Karaga District Human Development Report 2010
Table 3.8: Difficulty in Satisfying Household Food Need in the Past 12 Months 2003 2008 Karaga Year/Location All Rural Urban All Rural Urban Men Women All
Ghana Ghana Ghana Karaga Difficult* 52.5 54.6 49.8 44.4 32.2 57.1 36 75 37.6 Not difficult 47.5 45.4 50.2 55.6 67.8 42.9 64 20 62.4 Source: 2008 Household Survey. *Responses to never and seldom encounter of difficulty.
There are, however, gender and location rural than urban areas; there are many more differences. It is relatively more difficult to wage earners in urban areas but they are low satisfy food needs in the urban district than income earners who may not be able to hold the rural and more difficult among women large stocks from market purchases to than men-headed households. While the supplement own farm produce. The food proportion of urban households that never or situation was better among the male-headed seldom faced a food crisis is estimated at 43 households than the female-headed house- per cent, that for rural households is 68 per holds. While about 75 per cent of female- cent. There are more subsistence farmers in headed households said they suffered from severe food shortage every year, only 36 per cent of their male counterparts reported so in 2008. Since most of the food crop activities are carried out manually in remote areas, women who do not have access to unpaid family (particularly male) labour are not able to cultivate large acreages, or properly maintain fields for adequate harvest. A number of reasons Figure 3.6: Reasons Why There Was Difficulty in Satisfying accounted for the difficulty in Household Food Needs. meeting food needs. The
major reason given for the difficulty in satisfying food needs was poor harvest, affirmed by about 78 per cent of the 2008 survey respon- dents (Figure 3.6). Majority attributed poor harvest to climatic conditions while others attributed it to pest and disease attack. The rural urban difference is not significant; about 74 per cent and 79 per cent of urban and rural households also said Figure 3.7: Periods of Food Shortage. 48 Karaga District Economic Activity and Poverty they experienced difficulties in satisfying food challenge in the district. The observed needs due to poor harvest. Many of the incidence of child labour since 2000 suggests households sold most of their products right that much more needs to be done to get after the harvest and did not get good prices, children to concentrate on their studies when thus exposing themselves to a food crisis. enrolled in school so that there will be During the planting months (especially July) positive impact on intellectual ability for pursuing higher education and gainful food prices rise very high and contributed to employment in future. The poverty situation severe food shortage in households that could in the district appears not to be better than the not store enough food. June July and August national average as measured by the HPI. are considered the months of food shortage in Clearly, efforts to step up food production by the Karaga district (Figure 3.7). minimizing constraints facing agriculture The food situation raises issues of would help improve the food security and vulnerability for at least 30 per cent of livelihood of the majority of people in the households that experienced food shortage at district. least once during the year preceding the DAEA survey for various reasons. This means that a number of households in the district are vulnerable to poor harvests, and face the problem of storage and high food prices, among other factors. This calls for efforts by the District Assembly to implement policies outlined in the District Development Plan to raise agricultural production and minimize the household risk of experiencing some of these shocks.
Conclusion
The concentration of economic activity in farming exposes the district to a high level of vulnerability since the activity is among the most risky. The continued use of traditional methods of rain-dependent farming exposes the livelihood of many to the weather. This is in addition to a number of challenges facing farmers including finance, inadequate num- bers of extension officers, shortage of inputs, access to fertile land, low output prices and lack of markets for farm produce. The reported decline in the unemploy- ment rate indicates the progress the district is making in this area. However, the rise in the adult under-employment rate (coupled with a greater percentage of the under-employed complaining about the difficulty in finding jobs) suggests that the lack of adequate employment opportunities still remains a
Karaga District 49 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
CHAPTER 4
Education and Literacy
Introduction participation, and effective teaching and learning. These assume the provision of In fulfillment of constitutional obligations, adequate school infrastructure (see for successive government of Ghana have instituted the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme as a sector- wide initiative for promoting good quality education for all school-going children by 2015. Under the NEPAD initiatives, and to remove the financial barrier created by levies, government has introduced the Capitation Grant Scheme and a pilot school feeding programme. Education is one of the major goals of the Millennium Develop- Picture 4.1: A Classroom block with some pupils in a school in Karaga District. ment Goals (MDGs). The MDG example Pictures 4.1 and 4.2). on education is to ensure universal primary schooling, and equal enrolment for boys and girls at the primary and secondary levels. In Box 4.1: The MDGs and Human Development addition, Human Development Indicators on Indicators in Education education includes adult literacy rate, and the Millennium Development Goals gross primary, secondary and tertiary Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education, Net enrolment in primary education, enrolment rates. The Growth and Poverty Proportion of Pupils Starting Grade 1 who Reduction Strategy (GPRS II) also seeks to reach grade 5 Literacy Rate of 15–24 year ensure increased access of all children and olds. youth to a defined minimum basic education Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, Ratios of girls to boys in regardless of the particular economic primary, secondary and tertiary education. circumstances of their parents or guardians. Human Development The current educational policy in the country Adult Literacy Rate revolves round the Free Compulsory Gross Primary Enrolment Rate Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) concept Gross Secondary Enrolment Rate Gross Tertiary Enrolment in line with the MDG. The concept has three main components, viz., management for efficiency and effectiveness; access and
50 Karaga District Education and Literacy
Both the MDG indicators (refer to Box School infrastructure is still at low ebb. Out 4.1) and the knowledge indicators of the HDI of the 61 primary schools, 31 are in tempo- are output and/or outcome rary structures (mud, open pavilions, huts indicators. The process of attaining these outputs or outcomes are fundamental to progress in achieving the MDGs or improving on the HDI. This section provides information on some of the inputs that are important in influencing progress towards achieving the MDGs and in improving the human develop- ment in the Karaga district. In its attempt to improve educational attainment in the district, the Figure 4.1: Number and Type of Schools in Karaga District, following issues have been raised 2008. for attention: Inadequate school infrastructure (school blocks and teachers and sheds), with 30 being permanent struc- accommodation); inadequate trained tures (Table 4.1, Picture 4.2). Most of the teachers; lack of effective supervision of permanent structures are 3-unit classroom schools; inadequate teaching and learning blocks while eight has 6-unit classrooms and materials; inadequate Junior High Schools; above. Of the six Junior High Schools in the and the need for structural changes to ensure district, three are 3-unit classroom blocks and effective implementation of education policy. three have no classrooms. Classes are conducted in shared structures in the primary Education Infrastructure schools. It is estimated that 22 schools operate under trees in various communities. Education infrastructure concerns school With respect to teachers’ accommodation, buildings and the facilities within schools as only 14 schools have accommodation for well as accommodation for teachers in the teachers. The accommodation can house only district. The rate of expansion of educational six teachers, implying that about 54 per cent provision by the private and public sectors of teachers in the district have has been generally slow at best. The accommodation. proportion of the different categories of schools in the district, primary and junior Table 4.1: School Infrastructure high schools in the district is shown in Figure Development — 2007/2008 4.1. There are 88 schools in 55 communities/ Type of Structure Number settlements: 20 Pre-schools, 61 Primary Mud 22 One Pavilion 2 schools, six Junior High Schools and one Huts 4 Senior High School (KDA, 2008). A few Sheds 3 private crèches and schools are coming up; Permanent 30 five of them were counted during the Village Total 61 Walk undertaken in November 2008 (DAEA, Source: GES, Directorate, Karaga 2008. 2008). Structure of Directorate Classrooms and Teachers’ Accommodation
Karaga District 51 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
For efficiency and effectiveness, the directo- private school system is yet a developing rate has instituted supervisory activities. phenomenon in the district. The teacher-pupil There is the District Director of Education ratio and quality of teachers are critical in the who is the administrative and technical head. assessment of school quality and the situation There are four departments that help the in the Karaga district. The teacher-pupil ratio director in the management of education in is observed to be 1:89 given the current pupil the district. These are: population of 26,906 with volunteer teachers • Statistics and Research numbering 174 as currently complementing • Planning and Budget the efforts of regular teachers. The volunteer • Administration and Manpower teachers are engaged as temporary staff. • Supervisory Division Access to Education
The statistics unit is responsible for In the past, school attendance was poor. In data collection and processing for decision- 2003, only 17.3 per cent of all school-going making. The planning and budget unit is children and adults (6 years plus) had ever responsible for planning education in the district as well as budgeting for educational attended school in the district. The needs of the district. The supervisory proportion of males was 23 per cent division periodically undertakes supervision compared to 11.8 per cent for females. and monitoring of schools, teachers, Currently, the FCUBE policy has ensured performance of pupils and the educational that children of school-going age (four to six system in general. Currently the division has years) are given opportunity to attend pre- five circuit supervisors. school or basic school. To enhance the ownership and management of education at the community level, communi-ties have partnered the schools in the formation of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to support the management of schools. The FCUBE concept goes further to establish School Management Committees (SMCs) and District Oversight Committee (DEOC). There is also the District Education Planning Team (DEPT). However, there are Picture 4.2: A shed structure for basic school children in Karaga communities that do not have District. adequate classroom blocks and Quality of Teachers teachers for pre-school children. Many of the children under 6 years are still out of Currently many of the teachers are untrained. school in the district. Access is difficult for The current number of teachers in the district the very young children (under 8 years), is estimated at 303 which is made up of 91 where the school is more than 500 metres trained and 212 untrained teachers. All these away. teachers are in the public schools. The
52 Karaga District Education and Literacy
Girl-child Education Adult Literacy
In the past, socio-cultural beliefs and In terms of literacy, adults are considered as practices prevented girls from having equal those in the population whose age is above access to education as boys. In the last few 15. They are classified as literate if they can years, girl-child education has received read and write English or a local language or attention from development partners. In both. The adult literacy rate in English, a particular, UNICEF, School for Life and World Vision Ghana have supported the girl-child in terms of sponsorship and supply of uniforms, books and bicycles. The World Food Programme is also supporting by providing food. Gross enrolment rate for girls of school-going age is 41.3 per cent, which is 3,276 girls out of a total of 7,927 of school- going age actually attend school. Figure 4.2: Proportion of Girl Children in School by Age. In 2003, only 9.7 per cent of Source: DAEA, 2008. girls, aged 15–24 years were literate; the 2008 survey results show that many girls appear to drop out of school after age 12 when they complete the six-year primary education (Figure 4.2). The key reason has been attributed to high expense and the perception that “going to school is not useful.” In 2003, about 40 per cent and 45 per cent of the 6– 17 years age category who dropped out of school attributed it Figure 4.3: School Attendance by Household Heads and Spouses to expense and uselessness local language or both is low. The DAEA respectively. Others attributed it to distant Household Survey results show that, of the location of schools (6.1%), work (5.6%) and 646 adults (18 years and above) only 8 per failure to pass exams (4.8%). Pregnancy and cent could read and write English and only 1 marriage was not mentioned as the cause of per cent could read the local language school drop-out for girls below 17 years in respectively (Table 4.2). A higher proportion the Karaga district. of the urban population is observed to be more literate than the rural population. Table 4.2: Adult (18 years and above) Literacy in Karaga Indeed only 7 per cent of District (%) household heads and spouses ever Literate in All Male Female Rural Urban attended school (Figure 4.3). In English language 8.0 9.0 7.0 3.0 14.0 2003, 53.7 per cent of all adults in Local language 1.0 1.0 0.5 1.0 1.0 English & local language 9.0 10.0 7.5 4.0 15.0 Karaga District 53 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Ghana were considered literate. While 66 per insignificant. Only 11 people were reported cent of men were literate only 43 per cent of to have completed secondary school; and women were literate. The gender gap was only one person had attained tertiary level wider among those who are above 50 years education. There were only 4 young people old and narrower among the youth in the 15 (age 15–24 years) who had attained years to 24 years age category (Figure 4.4). secondary level education. The performance This shows that if education of the girl-child of students at the BECE has been very poor. is taken seriously and fewer girls drop out, In 2007, out of a total of 97 students women will catch up with men over time in presented for the BECE examination, only 38 terms of adult literacy. representing 39.17 per cent qualified for entry into the Senior High School (Table 4.3). In terms of girl-child education, of the 20 girls who were registered only 4 passed for entry into the Senior High School. In order to enhance teaching and learning in the district, the District Assembly has over the last two years sponsored the training of potential teachers who are citizens of the district to
Figure 4.4: Adult (15 years and above) Literacy Rate by Age teacher training colleges of Group. education. It is also sponsoring Source: 2003 CWIQ (GSS). eighty-seven pupil teachers for the “modular programme.” Non-formal education is yet to be a phenomenon in the district. Elsewhere in Table 4.3: Karaga: Students Performance at other districts, the Ghana Education Service BECE in 2007/08 has a non-formal education division that Year /Sex Sex 2007/2008 trains volunteers to render functional literacy # Presented for Exam Boys 77 to adults without formal education (up to 10 Girls 20 Total 97 years). Regular classes are needed to # Passed Boys 34 improve the literacy rate as participants are Girls 4 exposed to reading, writing and arithmetic. Total 38 # Failed Boys 43 Education Attainment Girls 16 Total 59 The education attainment of Karaga citizens, % Passed Boys 44.2 particularly the females, is low. Many (60%) Girls 20.0 of the pupils who complete the 9-year basic Total 39.2 education do not continue to the senior high Source: GES, Directorate, Karaga, 2008. school. In the 2008 survey, the proportion of household members who had ever been to School Enrolment school was 20.5 per cent. The proportion of secondary and tertiary school leavers was
54 Karaga District Education and Literacy
In 2008, the district had a total enrolment order), ill-health, helping on farm, bad (children in school) of 13,983, made up of weather and loss of interest in school or lack 4,676 for the Pre-School, 8,247 for the of funds to pay fees. Primary School and 1,060 for the Junior High School. The total enrolment shows a Conclusion remarkable increase of 43.19 per cent from the 2006/2007 figure of 9,765 (KDA, 2008). The situation of education in the Karaga The 2008 household survey results district has grave impli-cations for resource showed that, over 60 per cent of all children endow-ments and employment oppor- above age 6 and below, 16 were enrolled in tunities. The general indication is that access the primary school (Figure 4.5). Many to and participation in education is still low; (89.7%) of the children attended school the infrastructure and general inter-nal efficiency of the school sys-tem is weak. The teaching and learning outcomes can only be weak with such a poor school environment. The district is not well endowed in terms of human resource. The situation is a constraint to private sector participation in the economy and cannot support the attainment of poverty reduction, the first MDG
Figure 4.5: Proportion of Children in School by Age and Gender. to any extent. Source: DAEA Survey, 2008.
Figure 4.6: Number of Days Children Stayed Out of School. Source: DAEA Survey, 2008. daily. Of the few that stayed out of school in 2008, almost all stayed out for up to 10 days. About 45 per cent stayed out for less than 5 days and 52 per cent stayed out for between 5 and 10 days (Figure 4.6). The major reason for staying out of school was (in descending
Karaga District 55 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
CHAPTER 5
Health, Water and Sanitation
Introduction resource that has sound mind to take advantage of employment opportunities and As is evident in all Medium-Term District exploit other resources available in the Development Plans (2006–2009), health, district (see Picture 5.1 for example). sanitation and water issues have been In the discussion that follows, the status prioritized. Inadequate supply of safe water, of health services including infrastructure poor access to affordable health care, and staff to maintain a situation of good inadequate toilet and health facilities are the health for the given population is presented. most pressing issues in the Karaga district. Reducing the incident of ill-health and Infrastructure and Personnel improving the water and sanitation condition The district currently has five health facilities is, therefore, key to the socio-economic in the four sub-districts. There are two health development of the district. Achieving this desire will contribute to improving life centres and one private clinic (to be opened) expectancy at birth in the district as well as at Karaga town, one health post in Pishigu accelerating progress towards achieving the and one CHPS compound at Nyong Noyili health-related Millennium Development (Table 5.1). The clinic which is yet to begin Goals (Box 5.1). The MDGs include six operation is for a private organization while targets that involve health, water and human that of other facilities are controlled by the sanitation. A healthy population is quality Ghana Health Service.
Box 5.1: Health Component of the MDGs and Health Development Longevity Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality Improving upon the life expectancy at birth Target: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015 the under- five mortality rate. Indicators: Under-five mortality rate; Infant Mortality Rate and Proportion of 1 year olds immunized against measles.
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Mortality Target: Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio. Indicators: Maternal Mortality ratio and Proportion of births attended by skilled personnel.
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases Target: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. Indicator: HIV Prevalence among prevalent women aged 15–24 years, Condom use rate of the contraceptive prevalence, Condom use at last high-risk sex and Contraceptive Prevalence Rate.
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability Target: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without access to sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation Indicator: Proportion of the population with sustainable access to an improved water
56 Karaga District Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
source, urban and rural. The staffing situation in the health sector is woefully inadequate. There are only has been put in place to support health six community health nurses, two Medical delivery. There are 197 CBS Volunteers, 354 Assistants, four Midwives and one Public guinea worm volunteers, 80 Traditional Birth Health Nurse. There is no paramedical staff Attendants (TBAs), one guinea worm district in the district. However, a volunteer system coordinator, two area coordinators and 12 zonal coordinators.
Access to Health Services
The location of health infrastruc- ture in the district is an important factor in determining physical access. Physical access is defined as the ability of an individual to reach a health facility in less than 30 minutes. In the 2008 survey, about 60 per cent of all households reach the nearest
Picture 5.1: Dam at Karaga Town, a Major Source of Water for health facility in more than thirty Household Chores. minutes. The situation in the Table 5.1: Number of Health Facilities in rural areas of Karaga is worse the Karaga District, 2008 than the urban areas. About 35 per cent of the Location Facility Number population in the rural areas use Urban Rural approximately 60 minutes to reach the Hospital 0 0 0 Health centre 2 2 0 nearest health facility while in the urban Clinic 1 1 0 areas the same percentage use less than 30 Health post 1 0 1 minutes (Figure 5.1). Therefore, most (74%) CHPS 1 0 1 people in the urban areas get to the facility
by foot or bicycle. In the rural area, most (76%) people use vessels such as motor vehicles, bicycles, motor-cycles or canoes. Only 24 per cent of respondents get to health facilities on foot; these are people who live closer to the health facility. The general observation is that utilization or patronage of available health facilities and services is generally very low. In 2003, about 85 per cent of people Figure 5.1: Time Taken to Get to Nearest Health Facility, 2008. in Gushiegu-Karaga district did not
52 Karaga District Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 seek medical care at all (GSS, 2005). Many facilities. These include the income of the people probably patronized the services of person or household relative to cost of quack doctors, herbalists and only report consultation and drugs as well as the cost of very late to the health facilities as a last travelling to the health facility, the nature of resort (KDA, 2008). The 2008 household the health needs and level of education of the survey results showed that there is some person. However, the 2003 CWIQ and 2008 improvement. About 49 per cent of survey results show that, many of those who households visited either a public or private did not visit any health facility or seek health facility when ill; another 13 per cent service believed that their illness or injury visited pharmaceutical/chemical shops, did not need any special medical attention. although the authenticity of the facilities may The proportion for 2003 (97.8%) reduced in not be full-proof. Others (14%) visited 2008 (46%); reasons attributed to cost (21%) traditional healers and religious centres and and distance (17%) became significant in about 24 per cent of respondents did not seek 2008 compared to 2003. Other reasons (16%) medical attention at all. The implication is include, waiting for health insurance cards or that 38 per cent of household members did no specific reason (Figure 5.2). It thus not attend a formal health facility when they becomes clear that high cost of finance is a were ill in 2008 (Table 5.2). constraint to seeking timely and proper The situation appears to be worse in health care. urban centres where the dependence on chemical shops is high. There is no pharmacy shop in Karaga; only chemical selling posts. Although there is an improvement in the health- seeking behaviour of people in the district, more sensitization campaigns are needed to stop the over-dependence on informal sectors. Figure 5.2: Reasons for Not Seeking Medical Attention, 2003 and 2008. Table 5.2: Type of Health Facility/Provider National Health Insurance Visited in Times of Illness (%) Scheme Health Facility/Provider Total Rural Urban Private hospital/clinic 3 5 2 Public hospital/clinic 33 50 29 The National Health Insurance Scheme is a Community health centre 13 4 13 mechanism to increase access to health Traditional healer 11 4 13 services. The scheme is designed to reduce Religious Healing Centre 0 0 1 Pharmacist/chemical shop 13 4 17 the cost of access to quality health service, Others 3 4 0 particularly for the poor and deprived. None 24 34 22 Registration with health insurance schemes Source: DAEA, 2008. in the district is fairly low. About 42 per cent There are a number of factors that of the population is registered with or influence the decision to patronize health covered by a health insurance scheme. A
58 Karaga District Health, Water and Sanitation larger proportion of urban people are of a single parent) are members of the registered or covered compared to rural. scheme, and the indigent are all exempted from paying the premium to register for health insurance under the district scheme. For those who were covered or registered with the scheme, many (65%) indi- cated that they had benefited from the scheme more than once in 2008.
Morbidity
The sixth MDG is concerned with Figure 5.3: Reasons Provided for Non-registration with NHIS, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria 2008. and other diseases such as tuberculosis. The main target is to halt and reverse the spread of the diseases. Yet the rate of ill-health in the Karaga district is quite high. The household survey results showed that about 51 per cent of responding households had up to three members suffering ill-health or injury during the last three months prior to the survey. There are several diseases that have been listed as critical to the Figure 5.4: Number of Times Individuals Have Benefitted from health of the people of Karaga. NHIS. Malaria, diarrhoea, malnutrition
and skin diseases top the list (Table 5.3). In The difference between the men/boys 2003, 44.4 per cent of all illness in the and women/girls is not significant. The 58 Northern region was attributed to per cent of households that had never malaria/fever while 28 per cent was registered for health insurance considered attributed to gastrointestinal/diarrhoea. that, the premium was too high (75%) or they were not confident in the scheme (14%); a few (5%) people did not have any knowledge of the scheme, while others (6%) gave reasons such as lack of access to operators, no appreciation for necessity of scheme and inability to reach registration officers (Figure
5.3). It should be noted that SSNIT contributors, the elderly, people aged under 18 years whose parents (or parent, in the case
Karaga District 59 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Table 5.3: Top Ten (10) Diseases at the Various 6 RTA 145 1.9 Health Centres in the Karaga District 7 STOs/Anaemia 72 0.9 No. Diseases No. of Cases (%) 8 Pregnancy related 37 0.5 1 Malaria 4,645 61.6 diseases 2 Diarrhoea diseases 596 7.9 9 RTA 145 1.9 3 Malnutrition 199 2.6 10 Eye/diseases 32 0.4 4 Skin diseases 390 5.2 Source: KDA, 2008. 5 Pneumonia/ARI 81 1.1
60 Karaga District Health, Water and Sanitation
Results of 2008 household survey also showed that malaria was the number one disease, since about 45 per cent of responding households suffered from it; about 22 per cent suffered from diarrhoea and 11 per cent suffered from coughing during the last three months before the survey in November, 2008 (Figure 5.5).
Malaria Prevention Picture 5.2: Private clinic yet to start operation in Karaga Town. Strategies
The target of the MDG is to have halted the spread of Malaria by 2015 and begin to reduce the incidence. Therefore a number of preventive strate- gies have been spread during district-wide campaigns by health workers in collaboration with local development partners such as NGOs. The most popular strategy adopted by households in 2008 was sleep- ing in treated bed nets, particularly during raining Picture 5.3: A typical chemical store in the Karaga District. season. Rural households appear to use this strategy more intensively than urban house- holds (Figure 5.6). Compound weeding as a preventive measure appears to be a more popular strategy in the urban than rural areas. Some three percent (3%) of households in both rural and urban locations did nothing to prevent the disease. During group discus- sion, it became evident that compound weeding was a given situation in rural areas for safe living, against all insects and Picture 5.4: Karaga Health Centre.
Karaga District 61 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
animals, hence the practice is not considered for malaria prevention alone. It is clear that more intensive campaign on the use of treated bed nets will be needed in urban centres. On the other hand, the issue may be more of cost or purchase than lack of knowledge. There has been more distribution of free treated bed nets in rural areas than in urban centres.
Figure 5.5: Types of Sickness/Injury Suffered during Last Three HIV/AIDS Months before Survey. Source: DAEA, 2008. The target for HIV/AIDS under the
sixth MDG is to have halted it by 2015 and begin to reverse its spread. The reported cases of HIV/AIDS in the district have not been significant. In 2008 only one female was admitted and passed away at the Karaga health centre. There is every indication that the traditional healers are being consulted for cure and severe cases are sent to the Tamale Metropolitan Hospital rather than the district health centres. HIV/AIDs campai- gns are on-going and need to be Figure 5.6: Strategies Adopted by Households to Prevent Malaria. intensified to reduce its incidence. Source: DAEA Survey, 2008. Guinea Worm
Guinea worm is also a critical issue of health in the Karaga district. The district has 38 guinea worm endemic communities. With 35 reported cases the district now ranks 11th among the eighteen districts of the Northern region.
Maternal Mortality
An indicator of progress towards achieving the fifth MDG of improving maternal health is the Figure 5.7: Proportion of Households with Mothers Dying maternal mortality ratio. The During Pregnancy or Childbirth.
62 Karaga District Health, Water and Sanitation
Table 5.4: Maternal and Child Health Supervised Deliveries (MCH) Coverage 2005 No. Indicator Planned Coverage A second indicator of progress made in Target improving maternal health is the proportion 1 Family planning 10% 46% of births attended by skilled health personnel, acceptor rate namely doctors, nurses or midwives. The 2 4+ ANC visits 70% 61.20% proportion of mothers attended to by skilled 3 Teenage pregnancy – 229 health professionals during childbirth was 4 Skilled attendance 30% 15.90% estimated at 25 per cent in 2008 (KDA, during delivery 2008). About 17 per cent of the women 5 Post Natal Care 60% 43.60% receive supervised delivery by midwives and 6 IPT for pregnancy – 35.60% 250 men 8 per cent by nurses in public health centres. 7 Average ANC visits 4% 3% The 2008 household survey showed a better 8 Stilled Birth rate – 3(0.8) situation; about 32 per cent of mothers 9 Birth weight less – 30 (8.1%) indicated that they had supervised delivery than 60 from formal health personnel (Figure 5.8). 10 Maternal deaths – 271/100,000 Home delivery supervised by traditional birth (mortality) attendants is the commonest practice in both 11 Infant mortality – 5.7/1000 rural and urban Karaga district. Some of the Source:DHMT Report, 2005. TBAs received short-term medical training periodically from the Ghana Health Service. incidence of maternal mortality in the district is quite high. Current data on coverage levels of maternal and child health (MCH) interventions suggest that more needs to be done to reduce mortality. The maternal mortality rate was estimated as 271 per 100,000 births (Table 5.4). The survey of 240 households in the district in 2008 showed that death of mothers during pregnancy or childbirth was low. It was experienced by about 6 per cent of households in the last 5 years (Figure 5.7). The number of Figure 5.8: Type of Personnel Delivering Children. reported deaths was higher in rural Source: DAEA, 2008. than urban areas by about 12 percentage points. With respect to loss of Attendance at Ante- and Post-Natal child, 3.3 per cent of mothers in the rural Clinics areas did not have live births (lost pregnancy or had still birth), while about 2.8 per cent of The health of the mother and access to mothers in the urban areas did not have live medical care during pregnancy and childbirth birth. This means that over 97 per cent of are important determinants of the incidence women (12–49 years) had live births — a of infant and maternal mortality. In Karaga drastic improvement over the 15.4 per cent District, attendance of mothers at ante-natal estimated in 2003 (GSS 2005). clinics is said to be low. In general, the family planning acceptance rate is estimated
Karaga District 63 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 at 0.59. This situation explains the low visits by mothers are to ensure that babies are attendance of mothers during anti- and post- immunized against diseases such as measles, natal periods. Socio-cultural and religious polio, whooping cough, among others. In beliefs that view prevention of pregnancy as 2005, post-natal care coverage was estimated ‘sacrilegious’ limits women from visiting at about 44 per cent. The 80 per cent pre/post natal clinics considered as family coverage in 2008 is an improvement, planning clinics (KDA, 2008). However, in indicating that the proportion of children the 2008 household survey about 80 per cent immunized against the killer diseases has of all respondents (females 12 years and increased, all things being equal (there is no above) said they received pre- and or post- clear data in the district). natal care (Figure 5.9).
Child and Infant Mortality
Child and infant mortality are critical determinants of life expectancy at birth. The latter is an important indicator of human development index (HDI). The fourth MDG is to reduce child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. The available data suggest that most of the deaths that occur among children are among Figure 5.9: Mothers Receiving Pre-natal and Post-natal Care infants, namely children less than a During Pregnancy. year old. The infant mortality rate was estimated at 5.7 per 1000 births in 2005. The household survey conducted in 2008 shows that thirty- eight (19%) households also repor- ted of loss of a child during the 12 months preceding the survey. There were slightly more households with deaths (2.5%) in the rural than urban areas. However, the proportion of both male and female infants who died in the rural areas was
Figure 5.10: Level of Infant Mortality by Location. significantly higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Of the thirty- However, the incidence of ante-natal eight deaths reported, only 4 were from clinic attendance is higher among urban urban areas and the remaining 34 from rural women than rural women and attendance at areas. There were as many boys as girls who post-natal clinics is slightly lower than died as infants (Figure 5.10). attendance at pre-natal clinic. Post-natal
64 Karaga District Health, Water and Sanitation
development. Where the inci- dence of iodine deficiency is high in a population, it has been found to reduce the average Intelligence Quotient (IQ) by 10–15 per cent. Thus, iodine deficiency can have an adverse impact on national development. Although the use of iodated salt has been legislated, the proportion of households that use it in the Karaga district is estimated at less than 10 per cent. A UNICEF-sponsored campaign Picture 5.5: Mothers with Malnourished Children at the programme sensitized households Dizembilla Rehabilitation and Nutrition Centre in Karaga. during the project period more Child Health and Nutrition than a decade ago.
Adequate food and good nutrition are Access to Safe Water and Safe undoubtedly essential determinants of good Sanitation health and human survival. Poor nutrition of the child causes morbidity and mortality and The high incidence of malaria, diarrhoea, and may result in poor educational outcomes as guinea worm in the Karaga district can be well as poor growth indicators (stunting and attributed to the excessive dependence on wasting). The 2008 health quality data unsafe water sources and unsafe sanitation. among children estimated that 29 children Access to safe water and sanitation are aged 0–11 months, 27 children aged 12–23 critical to reducing the incidence of morbid- months and 4 children aged 24–59 months, dity and mortality, and therefore improving were malnourished (KDA 2008). A visit to life expectancy. The seventh MDG recog- the Dizembilla Rehabilitation Centre, a nizes that improvement in access to safe private rural initiative and nutrition centre water and sanitation is key in ensuring showed that over 1000 cases of malnutrition environmental sustainability. Environmental hygiene and safety are important in reducing (including marasmus, korshiokor and the incidence of disease. Thus all the District marasmic-korshiokor) had been treated since Medium-Term Development Plans for the 2004. Each month more than 10 children are period 2006–2009 set various targets towards admitted for attention. the provision of safe water. The use of iodated salt has been Improved access to safe drinking water suggested by the centre as an important refers to the increased proportion of house- ingredient for nutrition improvement of holds that draw water from pipes located in mothers as well as children. Iodated salt is dwellings or compounds, and from boreholes recommended in foods to reduce the and protected wells. By this definition, the incidence of iodine deficiency that can result situation in the Karaga district need further in the enlargement of the thyroid gland. improvement. In 2007 only 31.4 per cent of Iodine deficiency can affect the development households had access to boreholes and of the foetal brain and subsequent cognitive hand-dug wells with pump.
Karaga District 65 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
This is compared to the national and have been provided with safe water in the regional averages of 74.2 per cent and a 54.5 last years (Figure 5.11). About 86 per cent of per cent respectively in 2003. However, the all households have access to boreholes; the 2008 household survey result shows that use of ponds, considered as unsafe continues more people in both rural and urban Karaga due to the location of boreholes, cost of accessing water from that source and experiences of severe water problems during the dry season. Over 40 percent of households take more than 30 minutes to access a safe drinking water source; the situation is worse in rural Karaga (Figure 5.12). There are only 86 functional facilities (boreholes and wells) in 77 communities. The sanitation situation in Karaga also needs attention. Toilet, drainage and bin facilities for safe Figure 5.11: Proportion of Households with Access to Safe Drinking Water. disposal of solid and liquid waste are not adequate. It is a well- known fact that the practice of throwing liquid waste onto the compound and other outdoor spaces can create conditions favourable for the breeding of mosquitoes, yet this is the common practice of over 86 per cent of the population. The difference between the rural and urban areas is not significant and there has not been any marked improvement since 2000. There has been a slight improvement in the use of safe Figure 5.12: Time Taken to Access Safe Drinking Water. toilet facilities. In 2000 and 2003, over 90 per cent of the population did not have any toilet facility; the survey results show that in 2008, about 37 per cent of urban households and 15 per cent of rural households used safer toilet facilities such as the KVIP and covered pit latrines (Figure 5.13). There are currently 3 KVIPs (two 10 seater and one 5 seater) for public and private institutions, 3 aqua privy and 278 household KVIP latrines. Figure 5.13: Access to Toilet Facility in Karaga.
66 Karaga District Health, Water and Sanitation Health and Resource Endowment
The quality of health services has been described as poor since there is inadequate access to health facilities, inadequate health staff, high prevalence of malaria, high incidence of guinea worm disease, low access to potable water, low access to sanitation facilities, and low awareness on public health. The situation reduces soundness of mind needed to study by children in school; the environment does not attract investors from other regions or countries in the ECOWAS sub-
Picture 5.6: Public Toilet Facility and a Refuse Container region and the world over. The Located at Karaga Town. general productivity of labour could be lowered with time. In terms of other solid waste disposal, there are no defined spots for dumping household refuse throughout the district (not even in the district capital, Karaga). Household refuse are dumped anywhere, including roadsides (KDA). However, observations by the survey team suggest that the Zoomlion Co. Ltd. has been contracted to provide waste bins at vantage points in Karaga and some semi-urban areas like Pishigu. Therefore, about 25 per cent of households use such a publicly provided dump; a higher proportion of urban households (52%) than rural households (16%) use this facility. A few (23%) households also burn or bury the rubbish; majority (51%) continues to dump rubbish carelessly. The district has made progress towards the tenth MDG target of halving by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. However, much needs to be done in order to halt and reverse the spread of malaria and HIV/AIDS.
Karaga District 67
Resource Endowment
CHAPTER 6
Resource Endowment
Introduction variation also follow natural climatic conditions. The structures are the govern- Resource is considered as anything which ment and private sector interventions; and the can contribute to economic activity. They are processes are the laws, policies, culture and categorized simply as land, labour and institutions applied to enhance transforma- capital or as natural, human, physical, tion. Therefore, what resources are available financial and social. The latter typology is and how they are exploited in the Karaga attributed to DfID which considers resources district is critical to the achievement of all as livelihood assets. The natural assets the MDGs. include nature-made resources located on land and in or under water (sea, rivers and Perception of Adequacy of lakes); the human asset is the labour Resource Endowment resources which include various skills and Human Resources qualifications; the physical asset includes the man-made infrastructure; the financial asset The human resource base of the Karaga are the funds in terms of money saving and district concerns the capacity of the labour credit needed to purchase other resources; force to accomplish the productive and social asset is the ability of individuals or developmental activities of the district. The communities to network and link up with one key issues in human resource development another and with the external community for border on education, health, family planning sharing and support. and migration. Survey results suggest that the It is argued that if the livelihood assets human resource capacity of Karaga is of individuals and communities are adequate generally low. This is because the adult then any strategy that is selected to achieve literacy is low; the mean number of years of livelihood out-comes (such as income, food schooling of the adult population (21 years and above) is estimated at 6 years. Adult security and environmental soundness) will illiterates will find it difficult to access be effective. However, it is recognized that information since they cannot read. There- there is a vulnerability context that fore, the future human resource base of the introduces shocks, trends and seasonalities, district lies with its children. Of the 1000 calling for structures and processes that are children (6–20 years) listed, about 60 per necessary to transform communities and cent were in school; the enrolment level has ensure improved livelihood. The shocks and increased from 67 percent in 2003 to 74 per trends may follow from political, macro- cent in 2008 (Figure 6.1). However, many of economic and globalization; seasonal these children are likely to complete only the
Karaga District 67 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 basic education (9 years), which does not The infrastructure includes the physical equip persons adequately for employment structures established to facilitate human other than peasant farming, home industry actions to complete the productive and and lower rank service tasks. developmental activities.
Electrification
Karaga, the district capital is the only settlement which enjoys electricity, with connection to the national grid. However work is on- going to have seven more communities connected by the end of 2008. About 20 other commu- nities are billed for power extension through the Millennium Challenge Account Project in the next four Figure 6.1: Proportion of Children of Years 6–16 in School. years. Alternative energy sources Source: DAEA, 2008. are being championed by house- holds and NGOs (New Energy) in In order to maintain high levels of sound the district. The solar home system being mind and productivity, good health becomes installed in several homes in the region and critical. The health status of families is solar lamps for areas which are not on the improving (albeit) slowly. Attendance to VRA is yet to be provided by New Energy in health centres has improved and more collaboration with UNDP. In all there has mothers are receiving pre-natal and post- been the promotion of PV Solar Lighting in natal care. However, the traditional family the three (3) Northern Regions; promotion of sizes are eight or more. Most people migrate conversion to LPG; use of large kitchens (in to receive good education or better schools) and the establishment of woodlot in employment. Of the migrants interviewed, schools and communities. The absence of only 19 per cent had immigrated for electricity in most of the communities makes employment reasons — agriculture and non- it difficult for government workers to accept agriculture. The National Service Scheme postings to the district. In the 2008 household has ensured that every year about 20 survey, only 7 per cent (24% in urban) graduates from polytechnics and universities households used electricity for lighting; none are posted to boost the human resource used it for household cooking or industrial capacity of the district. The personnel assist processing. The major source of energy is in rural development work, teaching, health firewood (95%) and to a lesser extent care and administration at the district charcoal and kerosene. assembly. A few out-migrants are young people who seek primary and secondary Roads education outside the district. These are a The road statistic available covers the old potential human resource; they may return to Gushiegu-Karaga district. The total length of serve their district. road constructed is 434.89 kilometres. Less Infrastructure than 50 per cent (202.08) of the length is classified as good road. The rests are
68 Karaga District Resource Endowment classified as fair (127.72 km) and poor (105 wells with pumps. This gives potable water km). None of the now Karaga district road coverage of about 31.4 per cent. Less than can be classified as good since there are no one percent of the people in the district have tarred (butimen) roads. The surfaces of all access to sanitation facilities. There are only the roads are earth or gravelled to a less 3 KVIPs (two 10-seater and one 5-seater) for extent. The surface of these roads becomes public and private institutions, 3 aqua privy difficult to ply with vehicles, especially in and 278 household VIP latrines. The the rainy season, because they develop common practice is open and indiscriminate potholes or get washed away. Economic and defecation at any available open space, other social activities usually slow down behind houses, on footpaths and along during the peak rainy season when traders roadsides. In terms of solid waste disposal, and other office staff cannot get to the remote there are few defined spots for dumping communities such as Nambrugu to buy farm household refuse throughout the district. produce or assist in development work. There is also no cemetery throughout the During this period the motorcycle and district and the people practise the old age bicycles are the only means of transport apart tradition of burying the dead in the house. from moving on foot. The health hazard which the water and sanitation situation poses for human resource development is grave. Yet, the district currently has only two health centres at Karaga and Pishigu and one CHPS compounds at Nyong Noyili.
Education
School infrastructure is still at a low ebb. Out of the 58 primary schools, 32 (more than 50%) are in temporary structures (mud, open pavilions, huts and sheds), with 23 being permanent structures. Most of the perma-
Picture 6.1: Donkey Carts, Bicycles and Tractors are a Major means of nent structures are 3-unit Transport due to the Poor Conditions of Roads in the Karaga District. classroom blocks while eight has 6-unit classrooms and above. Water, Sanitation and Health Financial Resources The major sources of water supply in the district are streams, dams and dug-outs, Financial intermediation in the Karaga shallow wells, ponds, boreholes and hand- district remains in the informal sector. There dug wells with pumps. There are no pipe- is no formal financial institution such as systems in the district, though Karaga has community/rural banks, savings and loans been earmarked for supply of pipeborne companies or commercial banks. Mutual water through the small town water systems. rotating susu trust groups are well-known, The district currently has 87 boreholes, 78 of especially among women traders and which are functional and 10 are hand-dug processors. NGO such as Maat’ntudu and
Karaga District 69 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
TIDA are currently organizing groups, allowing owners to efficiently balance their especially women from selected communities extraction and conservation decisions. (e.g. Shebo), for possible micro credit and In Karaga, the system governing financial literacy services. The few resource use is well developed. Land and its government appointees whose salaries are economic trees are a communal property held tied to account holding, and private in trust for the people by the paramount businessmen use the services of other banks and/or community chiefs. Various house- (including rural banks and branches of the holds have access to free land for agricultural universal banks) in Gushiegu or Savelugu production. The inheritance system allows (immediate neighbours), or Tamale, the sons to control how land is used. Women regional capital. have user rights only, given to them by their husbands and fathers. Any development for Natural Resources residential or industrial purposes by both men and women requires the consent of the The natural resource involves the soils and community chief. There is thus a preference climate for agriculture, mining, quarrying for adjudication by chiefs whenever there are and tourism. Karaga can boast of vegetation conflicts in resource use and related issues. and soils that support a wide variety of crops Due to the high regard for the traditional and livestock production. Apart from system, the government departments for agriculture, wild economic trees such as the conflict resolution such as the Police and shea, baobab, dawadawa and mango give Social Welfare Department are under- collection opportunities to households. The utilized. The need to resource these depart- forested areas also serve as habitats for ments to function well has thus been ignored. wildlife; hence hunting is an option for many There is an intense logistical constraint households, especially during the off-season regarding vehicles and other communication period. However, there are no known natural gadgets. There are no Police barracks; the resources for tourist site development in the few (6) personnel live in hired rooms within Karaga district. private compounds.
Institutions/Governance The district assembly system ensures
The nature of the property rights governing resource use is a key determinant of how well produ- cers and consumers use the resources. When property rights systems are universal, exclusive, transferable, and enforceable, the owner of resource has a powerful incentive to use that resource efficiently, because failing to do so results in a personal loss. For scarce natural resources, the owners derive a scarcity rent. In Picture 6.2: Karaga Police Post. properly specified property right that all public facilities and services are systems, this rent is not dissipated by controlled by public departments. There is a competition. It serves the social purpose of
70 Karaga District Resource Endowment
District Chief Executive whose mandate is to agricultural extension services and the work with the district coordinator, planning NADMO. Ten per cent who do not believe officers and the assembly members to decide that, natural disasters are an act of God and on project designs, budgets, implementation nothing can be done to stop it. and monitoring. For those who believe, most of them mentioned that for flood prevention, the key Hazards and Environmental Table 6.1: Nature of Environmental Hazard Impact Suffered by Households and Coping Strategies in Karaga District (2007/2008) (%) In economics, the environment is viewed as a Indicators Rural Urban All composite asset that provides a variety of Type of hazard suffered services. It provides the economy with both Flood 61.0 60.0 60.0 Wind storm 23.0 26.0 23.0 raw materials, which are transformed into Drought 41.0 3.0 33.0 consumer products by the production Bush Fire 16.0 14.0 15.0 process, and energy, which fuels this Strategy for flood control transformation. The mass of materials Construct gutters 8.0 21.1 14.0 Avoid farming in valley 39.8 2.0 20.9 flowing into the economic system from the bottoms environment has to either accumulate in the Build pillars around the 6.8 5.3 6.0 economic system or return to the house Plant food crops early 2.3 5.3 4.3 environment as waste. Excessive waste can Plant trees 1.0 5.9 4.3 depreciate the asset; when they exceed the Others 27.3 40.1 33.0 absorptive capacity of nature, waste reduces No strategy 15.9 21.1 18.3 the services that the asset provides. There is Strategy for reducing effect of windstorm the need to prevent undue depreciation so Tree planting to serve as 67.6 60.9 69.9 that the environment continues to provide wind breaks aesthetic and life-sustaining services. This is Use of more durable roofing 9.5 4.3 11.5 materials the thinking that has compelled the Karaga Use effective roofing 16.2 8.7 6.2 district assembly to institute committees led methods by the National Disaster Management Orga- Others 1.0 17.4 2.7 nization (NADMO) for campaign against the No strategy 5.7 8.7 9.7 Strategy for reducing effect of prevention of wild fires, floods, and effects drought of wind storms. Study the rainfall pattern 26.1 – 21.0 In the 2008 household survey, results Store enough food 13.0 – 7.4 Use valley bottoms to farm 17.4 – 8.6 showed that: About 60 per cent of during the period households were affected by floods, about 23 Others 17.4 – 44.4 per cent were affected by wind-storm, about No strategy 26.1 100.0 18.5 Strategy for control of bush 33 per cent by drought and about 15 per cent fires by bush/wild fires. Apart from the dam at Creation of fire belts 32.6 0.0 16.4 Karaga that was damaged, destruction of around farms and homes Clearing of bushes around 16.3 22.2 20.0 farm lands, houses, storage barns, animals houses and foot bridges are the common effects that Early harvest 32.4 0.0 16.7 were listed by affected households in both Education of members of 17.4 51.4 34.6 rural and urban areas (Table 6.1). households and community Others 2.3 25.9 14.4 Fortunately many (90%) of households make No strategy 0.0 1.4 0.0 effort to adopt various coping strategies based on personal experience or lessons from
Karaga District 71 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 strategy is to construct gutters, avoid farming in valley bottoms, build pillars around the house, plant early, and plant trees. Tree planting to serve as wind breaks is the number one and major strategy. The second important strategy is the use of more durable roofing materials and effective roofing methods. The key strategy used to reduce the effect of drought is “maintain a proper planting calendar so that planting of crops is not done too early or too late” (assertion during focus group). In the survey, many of the respondents said they study the rainfall pattern; others said they store enough food, or use valley bottoms to farm during the period, to reduce the effect of drought. A few households resort to irrigation, using water from dams that do not dry up completely. The creation of fire belts around farms, clearing of bushes around houses, early harvest and education of members of house- holds are the key strategies mentioned by almost all the respondents. There are, however, some differences between the practices of rural and urban dwellers. For instance, valley bottom farming is not an option for urban farmers. This may be due to the distant location of valley bottoms with respect to residents of Karaga, the major urban town. Urban dwellers also appear not to strategize for drought, probably because of lack of opportunity to use the alternatives available — valley bottoms and long-term storage. In the rural area, tree planting to act as wind breaks is not an option, probably because of the fact that the density of the tree is higher.
72 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment
CHAPTER 7 Utilization and Constraints in
Resource Endowment
Introduction which households have access and the decisions they make in future periods In this section, the report describes how the district has utilized the resources it is endowed with, the constraints associated with the effective utilization of these resources and how the utilization has influenced the attainment of the MDGs in the district. The resource endowments’ utilization is key to determining the range of livelihood oppor- tunities available to all indivi- duals and households in the district. The larger the resource base, the less constrained the choices available to households, Picture 7.1: The Grain Mill is an Important Physical Facility. and the greater the ease of (Maxwell and Wiebe 1998).6 substituting one form of capital for another in creating wealth. The more limited the resource base, the more constrained the Access to natural resources may not be choice set. The household’s asset base, enough to assure livelihood security (de including access to natural resources, thus Janvry, et al. 2001). Access to and the use of fundamentally conditions the production and natural capital by households is complemen- exchange decisions it makes. The outcomes tary with the other forms of capital and it is of household decisions based on household’s this asset complementarities or “asset resource endowments — represented by bundling” — increasing access to natural levels of household income, assets and assets along with simultaneously enhancing capabilities — influence the consumption access to physical, financial or human capital and investment decisions of households. The — that is particularly an important consumption and investment trade-offs made mechanism for escaping poverty by by these households influence, in turn, the 6 portfolio of natural and other resources to Maxwell, D., and K. Wiebe (1998).
Karaga District 73 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 strengthening the capabilities of the resource development and its utilization household. Access is a central criterion to carry the potentials and aspirations of assuring utilization of resource endowments individuals and the prospective ability of the and in sustaining livelihoods. Natural society. The medium term development plan resources become natural “assets” when of the Karaga district is to improve the access is assured, either through asset owner- quality of life of the people through ship or other forms of secure access and education. This objective also reinforces the control. Rural poor people who lack access to GPRS II goal on human resource develop- natural capital and other forms of capital are ment programme that emphasizes, among challenged on many fronts: obtaining food, others, education, training and skills accumulating assets and responding to development. shocks and misfortune (Baumann 2002). The accumulation of capital and the Natural resources vary widely in the exploitation of natural resources rest upon rules that govern access to them. Individuals the development of people and the effective primarily hold access to some resources, commitments of their energies and talents. while access to other resources may be Utilization of human resources has both shared across larger groups, including the quantitative (number of jobs secured) and state, and some resources are effectively not qualitative aspects (skills, competencies as held by anyone. Such open access resources, well as the health and well-being of the including many forests and fisheries, are people). Quantitatively, providing and among those facing the current greatest securing jobs that enable the individual to do pressures due to growing populations, what they have become capable of doing is accompanying resource demands, and the important. Qualitatively, individuals must do common lack of effective institutions that work that enables them to fully employ the govern access. Since access entails rights, it capacities that they have developed to is also fundamentally affected by social and effectively sustain their livelihood. The political processes reflecting the distribution utilization of the human resources available of power in communities and societies in the metropolis in the local economy is one of wide contrasts. At one extreme is a small (including dimensions such as gender and proportion of the human resource (work- conflict), by market forces reflecting the force) in a relatively small sector of high distribution of wealth, and by environmental productivity and relative high income (the forces, which are often influenced by human modern sector). At the other extreme is a activity. very large sector of low productivity and relatively low income (the subsistence Utilization of the Resource agricultural sector) also employing the Endowments largest sector of the human resource. Between these is the intermediate sector Human Resources Utilization (informal sector), which is of a moderate size. Human resource development and utilization The modern sector includes the more concerns education, training, employment productive enterprises that include the newly opportunities and the building of incentives emerging service centres (ICT), government for useful and productive activity. Human employment establishments such as health, resource utilization is also closely related to education and administration and the formal the strategy of economic, social as well as private industrial (manufacturing) sector. political growth of the locality. Thus human Table 7.1 provides a snapshot of the
74 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment distribution of the human resource in the employment rate (15+) has been on the participation of the local economy of the increase in the district. Since agricultural district. The public and the formal private land is available for a physically able adults, sector employ about 10 per cent of the active joblessness is not a phenomenon; under- population. On the other hand, the informal employment increases are high among the and agricultural sector participation of the rural district than the urban, indicating that human resource of the active population relatively, more people in the rural areas find constitutes 88 per cent. it more difficult to get the kind of fulfilling and higher earning job. Table 7.1: Distribution of Economically The incidence of under-employment Active Population Aged 15+ by Industry, among the adults in the district is an Status and Type (%) Main 2000 2003 2008 Average indication of the fact that the human resource Employers is not being utilized to its maximum capacity. Public 1.7 1.1 0.5 0.57 Table 7.3 presents the 2003 CWIQ survey Private 13.7 0.9 14.9 9.8 results of the extent of under-employment in formal Private 8.3 96.5 84 88.1 the district. Agriculture and related activities informal account for about 92 per cent of the under- Others 0.8 1.5 0.6 0.97 employed, with most of the under-employed Source: Ghana Statistical Service, 2000 operating in the private informal sector. Population and Housing Census, CWIQ 2003 and 2008 Household Survey. Table 7.3: Under-employed Persons by Industry, Employment Status and Table 7.2: Estimates of Youth and Economic Sector Adult Under-employment Rates (%) Industry % for Karaga District Agriculture & Related 92.0 Age Group Adult (15+) Youth Activities (15–24) Manufacturing 5.0 Indicators 2003 2008 2008 Construction 0.1 Karaga Wholesale & Retail Trade 2.6 Community/Social Services 0.3 District Men 42.0 33.2 Employment Status % Women 42.5 36.8 Self-Employed, no employees 76.0 All 5.9 42.0 35.1 Casual Employee 0.5 Rural Regular Employee 0.2 Men 47.1 41.6 Domestic Employee 0.0 Women 45.8 41.8 Unpaid Family Employee 23.3 All 14.9 46.0 41.7 Sector % Urban Public 0.50 Men 39.0 27.9 Private Formal 9.00 Women 39.0 29.5 Private Informal 90.50 All 12.1 39.0 28.5 NGOs/International 0.00 Source: 2000 Census, 2003 CWIQ and 2008 Organizations DAEA Household Survey. Other 0.00 Source: 2003 CWIQ, GSS. There are, however, large proportions of the human resource that are underemployed. The proportion of children/adults in Table 7.2 presents the under-employment schools for formal education and training in rates for different periods for the Karaga the district are also not comparable to district in relation to the whole country. national averages. In the district, gross and Based on the 2003 CWIQ and the DAEA net primary enrolment rates are lower than 2008 Household Survey data, the under-
Karaga District 75 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 the national average for 2002/2003 to ture in poverty reduction has been recognized 2006/2007. in the Millennium Development Goals Similarly, gross enrolment rates at JSS (MDGs), which single out access to water level in the district remained lower than the supply and sanitation service targets to be regional and national rates over the years of achieved by 2015. Although not explicitly 2003/2004 and 2006/2007. Similarly, the stated as goals, access to other infrastructure percent of adult literacy in the district are far services such as electricity, transport, and lower than the national rates (Table 7.4). The telecommunications is indispensable for implication is that the district is not achieving the health, education, gender, and equipping the available human resource to be income poverty goals. able to play its role in the local economy. Road and Other Transport Infrastructure Table 7.4: Percentage Adult Literacy, 2003: National versus Karaga District The main road is the one which passes % Adult Literacy National Karaga District through Nabogo and Gushiegu. This is not (15+ years) 2003 2003 2008 asphalt-surfaced but motorable throughout All 53.7 9.4 9.0 the year and therefore has a major influence Male 66.2 16.4 10.0 on the economic life of the people. Within Female 42.5 3.2 7.0 Karaga itself, vehicles find it difficult to ply Source: 2003 CWIQ. the road, especially in the rainy season, on The Role of Women Groups in the District account of the potholes. The results is that market days (which run once every sixth The role of women in enhancing the day) are the only days that mobility of people utilization of resources in the district is borne is high. On non-market days, trading is poor by the number of formal, informal and and income generation is reduced. community women groups registered with Schools/Banks/Hotels the Department of Cooperatives and NGOs such as TIDA and Maat’ntudu. The amalgam The rate at which education provision is of groups registered with the cooperatives expanding in the district is not impressive. In pursues diverse interests, including self-help many of the rural communities more than projects, participation in MiDA FBO training one class use one room for their lessons. and financial training by Maat’ntudu and Make-shift rooms and pavillions abound and TIDA. These groups meet periodically to classes are disrupted during bad weather. The discuss issues affecting women. The MiDA health facilities in the Karaga district are training is supported by the Millennium limited to few locations; many people use Challenge Account granted to Ghana in 2007 more than one hour to reach a health centre. by the USA. Therefore formal medical services are limited; health delivery is controlled by Infrastructure Utilization traditional birth attendants, herbalists and spiritualists. It is widely recognized that cost-effective, reliable, and affordable infrastructure Information (Radio, Television, ICT) services are critical for sustainable development, and a necessary condition for World over, telecommunication is acknow- reaching economic, social, and environ- ledged to be a critical infrastructure sector. mental goals. The importance of infrastruc- The growth and development of telecom
76 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment services has a direct and significant impact vehicles) to recharge the mobile phones from on the efficiency, competitiveness and the few (6 in Karaga town) sale points growth of the economy. Within the telecom, (Figure 7.1). The post office is yet to be it is the mobile telephony that has demons- operational; many who require the service trated itself to be the most conducive use one in Gushiegu, more than 30 minutes medium to rapidly and economically deliver drive away from Karaga town. There are no the benefits of communication and connec- internet cafés, a place where one can use a tivity in the metropolis. Cellular mobile computer with Internet access for a fee. Thus telephony has brought modern telecom- the electronic media landscape in the munication services to the metropolis. Thus metropolis has been growing at a very slow the mobile phone has become an effective pace. tool, not only to bridge the urban-rural digital There are four FM radio stations divide, but also has led to the district operating in the Tamale metropolis, the catching up with the rest of the country. capital of Northern region. These are: Radio Three service providers, Mobile Teleco- Savannah, Filla FM, Diamond FM and Radio mmunication Network (MTN), Milicom Justice. Some of these radio stations pick up Ghana Ltd. (Tigo) and Ghana Telecom Ltd. the newspaper review segment on the (Onetouch) are available; it is thus easy to morning shows of some of the radio stations communicate with people in areas with in Accra after which they turn to the network connection. There is at least one discussion of issues that are local in Dagbani. household with a mobile phone owner in all GTV and Metro TV reach the viewing the communities with network. There is no residents of the district. Fortunately TV3 and land line system operating though, so most TV Africa have improved their services to people have to spend time (walk or on residents in the Region.
Picture 7.2: One of the numerous masts erected Picture 7.3: The newly built Post Office in the Karaga District. in the Karaga District.
Housing, Water and Sanitation the increases in commercial houses and businesses are almost limited to the capital. Tamale metropolis, the capital of northern There are institutions of learning (UDS, region is a major hub not only for northern Polytechnic, Training Colleges and Secon- Ghana and the sub-region as a whole. Hence dary Schools) which are linked to agricul-
Karaga District 77 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 tural production (food processing, servicing traditional birth attendants, herbalists and of machinery, etc.). Infrastructure has also spiritualists. As at 2008, the district had only improved considerably enhancing employ- five formal health facilities, 2 health centres ment opportunities in the metropolis. at Karaga and Pishigu and 1 CHPS com- Housing delivery in the Karaga district has pounds at Nyong Noyili (see Table 7.5). increased; developments have been from both the public and private sectors. Office Table 7.5: Number of Health Facilities in and residential accommodation for public Karaga District, 2000–2006 services are springing up although these Facility 2008 houses are yet to be connected to the Number of Public Health Institutions electricity. The regularity of water supply, Hospital 0 however, is not smooth. In 2007/2008, more Health Center 2 boreholes were dug but the natural water Clinic 1 sources, streams remain the dominant source CHPS 1 of water for all home chores and industrial Number of Private Health Institutions processing (sheabutter, pito brewing, kenkey Clinic 1 making among others). Sanitation facilities Clinic (Mission) 0 are not numerous. Hence households do not use proper refuse disposal; liquid waste and Total Number of Health Institutions 5 other solid waste facilities. There is heavy Source: Karaga District Assembly, 2008. use of the “bush” (farm and non-farm sites) The distribution of medical staff is as toilette facility, and indiscriminate skewed in favour of urban Karaga. There is dumping of waste. no doctor in the district. However, the number of medical staff is said to be improving: There are six community health nurses, two medical assistants, four mid- wives and one public health nurse. There are 197 CBS volunteers, 354 guinea worm volunteers, 80 traditional birth attendants (TBAs), one guinea worm district coordinator, two area coordinators and 12 zonal coordinators. The utilization of Figure 7.1: Time Taken to Reach a Telecom Facility in Karaga District. the existing facilities and the Source: DAEA Household Survey, 2008. medical staff show a pattern that depicts a moderate reliance on Health Infrastructure: Hospitals/Clinics the public health facilities. Quite a good The health facilities in the Karaga district are proportion of the population sampled in 2008 limited to few locations; many people use in the district normally seeks treatment from more than one hour to reach a health centre. the formal health facility (36 percent) with Therefore formal medical services are relatively more people in the rural district limited; health delivery is controlled by who fell sick in the last three months prior to
78 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment the survey visiting the public health facility areas, the focus has been on the dense core. than the urban counterpart (Table 7.6). Majority (93%) of the population does not Table 7.6: Type of Health Facility/Provider use electricity for lighting or food Visited in Times of Illness (%) processing. Alternative energy sources are Health Facility/Provider Total Rural Urban being championed by households and NGOs Private hospital/clinic 3 5 2 (New Energy) in the district. The solar home Public hospital/clinic 33 50 29 Community health centre 13 4 13 systems being installed in several homes in Traditional healer 11 4 13 the region and solar lamps for areas not on Religious healing centre 0 0 1 the VRA are yet to be provided by New Pharmacist/chemical 13 4 17 Energy in collaboration with UNDP. In all, shop Others 3 4 0 there has been the promotion of PV Solar None 24 34 22 Lighting in the three Northern Regions; Source: DAEA, 2008. promotion of LPG use in large kitchens (in schools) and the establishment of woodlot in A higher proportion of people in the schools and communities. About 20 other rural areas of the district failed to seek communities are billed for power extension medical attention during times of sickness through the Millennium Challenge Account compared with urban dwellers. Project in the next four years. The health infrastructure provided services in pre- and post-natal care and child Table 7.7: Summary of Water Use in the immunization, among several others. There District Water System Numbers is an increasing trend in the out-patient Percent Number of Wells 37 attendance at health facilities in the district. Number of Boreholes 113 The number of hospital attendants increased Number of Ponds/Dugouts 1 sharply, apparently due to links to health Number of Inhabitants with 126,836 31.10% Pipe borne water per total exemption programmes introduced by the population, 2003–2008 government, including exemptions from Source: KDA (2008). cholera, typhoid and TB; exemption of fees for antenatal services, for children less than 5 Natural Resource Utilization in years and for the elderly. The introduction of the District the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) has also partly contributed to higher health Water/Rivers Bodies attendance, especially at public health The district is poorly endowed with water institutions and particularly for the period bodies. The only natural water systems, 2006. It is said that the proportion of children however, are a few seasonal streams, which immunized against diseases such as measles have water during the rainy season and dry and all the five listed childhood killer up during the dry season. Notable among diseases improved over the 2006–2008 these streams are the Nasia, a tributary of the period (OIC, Karaga Health Centre). White Volta and other tributaries of Nabogo river (in another district); the flow of these Electricity/Energy rivers and streams depends strongly on the The electricity network covers less than 30 annual rainfall, which is between 900 mm per cent of the population in the district, and 1000 mm per annum. Water use in the particularly those in the dense areas of district therefore depends largely on rainfall, Karaga town, the district capital. Since dug-outs and treated water. Besides drinking electricity is expensive to transmit to all the water (treated water, water harvesting from
Karaga District 79 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 rainfall and from dug-outs), rainfed agricul- The economic value of the Karaga ture is predominant. Table 7.7 summarizes forest resources lies in the revenues derived the available water systems in use in the mainly from exploitation of its wealth of district. This gives potable water coverage of commercial woods and other non-timber about 31.10 per cent for a total population of forest products (NTFPs). The main value of 126,836. forests in the district is the supply of The District experiences one rainy firewood, grazing and non-wood products season starting from April/May to Septem- such as thatch and fruits. People in both rural ber/October with a peak season in July/ and urban areas also have access to the shea August with amounts between 900 mm and 1300 mm per annum, falling within 90 days tree whose fruits are a source of cash. of intense rainfall. There are about 7–8 dry Women exclusively process the fruits with months when farmers have to resort to waste the help of younger male children who run water for vegetable irrigation as there is no errands to fetch water and firewood. perennial stream passing through Karaga and the groundwater table is low. Thus the district faces limited water resources. The dug- outs also become the source of drinking water for the livestock in the dry season. The dug-outs and streams utilization in both aquaculture and fishing in the metropolis are limited. The use of irrigation is not widespread even though this is important in the time of drought. The district, though, has the potential for an irrigation scheme. The Nasia river, for example, can be Picture 7.4: A Forest Reserve near Karaga Town. dammed for irrigation purposes. Land Utilization Forest/Biodiversity The land use in Karaga district has not The district lies in the Guinea savannah changed much; it is still predominantly woodland, composed of short trees, usually not forming a closed canopy and often very agricultural (for cropping and animal widely spaced interspersed with thick, tall husbandry). The provision of residential and grass. Through human interference, there are recreational space, the expansion of educa- periodic bushfires in many localities, which tional as well as transportation facilities, sweep across the rural Karaga during January waste disposal and industrial production are to April. Many of the trees are fire resistant slow in coming. This implies that there is and have thick bark. Since the savannah zone little expansion in economic opportunities/ is poor in indigenous timber resources for activities and urbanization. The value of land industrial use, and only a few species are of in the district is therefore highly related to any commercial interest. Karaga, therefore, considerations of its fertility and other lacks timber resources, when compared to favourable biophysical characteristics. The other areas in the forest zones of Ghana. land resources in the agricultural areas of the
80 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment district are not under much threat of degradation since the demand for agricultural products is stable; and human population growth is rising slowly. However, the land fallow period has been reduced and there is decline in soil fertility due to intensive use of agricultural lands close to major access routes. For greater ecosystem stability, enhanced food security and improved rural livelihoods, efforts have to be made to reverse the degradation. Sustainable land management Figure 7.2: Land and Water Management Practices in the District (%). Source: 2008 DAEA Household Survey. practices also need to be applied to recover degraded lands, protect those government structures including the district under threat, and enhance their ecological assembly and services provided, the security functions. and judicial systems and the role played by Figure 7.2 shows the proportion of farm the various NGOs in resource access and households who undertake land management mobilization. In order to meet the MDG practices in their farms. Most households in goals (focusing on poverty reduction, the district do not use chemical fertilizers to improving health, education, gender equality maintain land fertility. Manure application is and women’s empowerment, environmental also not prominent. It appears that vegetable sustainability and global partnership), the production which requires these inputs is not Karaga district has sought to develop highly practised. In metropolitan Tamale, the linkages among its local administrative and use of manure and fertilizer is high due to the governance institutions. changing lifestyles of the urban dwellers and At the national level, the participation of the growing demand for exotic vegetables. adults in the district in exercising their Institutions and Governance franchise in national elections has been relatively high (Table 7.8). Participation in We have already noted the resource the 2004 national elections saw a participa- endowments and problems associated with tion of about 82 per cent. This proportion, the participation of individuals in the however, declined slightly two years later household as regards land, labour, and during the district level elections to about 80 agricultural markets. In addition, markets can percent. The proportion of people consulted provide an alternative means of access to on projects initiated in their communities is land and other resources for households with also quite high (about 65%). enough capital, for instance, to rent or buy land in other areas. Thus, participation in Table 7.8: Participation in Political Events in institutions not only affects access to the District resources; the contrary is also true: access to Location resources affects participation in institutions. Political Event All Rural Urban The institutions in the governance 2006 District Elections 80.24 77.76 89.43 structure in the district consist of the 2004 National Elections 81.73 83.27 84.79 traditional leadership system and the central Consulted on projects 65.1 67.4 57.9
Karaga District 81 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Member of Unit Committee 10 12.7 1.8 communities with their leaders. In the sample Source: DAEA, 2008. survey, it came to light that, most of the respondents (about 79%) know the DCE and Participation in Community the MP of their locality (Figure 7.3). This Development Programmes was quite easy since about 53 per cent of respondents indicated that it was easy or very The participation in community development easy to contact them and only about 13 per programmes depends, among others, on the cent said it was difficult to have access to effectiveness of the political leadership at the them (Figure 7.4). local level and interactions of the
DCE MP Figure 7.3: Proportion of Respondents that Know the DCE and MP (%).
DCE MP Figure 7.4: Proportion of Households Indicating Ease of Interaction with DCEs and MPs (%).
As expected, communities indicated that in community development meetings in the they interact more with their local assembly district is very high (Figure 7.5). person than with the MP or DCE. At the community level, several associa- Communities therefore relay their problems tions/groupings, including community-based and grievances through their assembly organizations (CBO) such as dance groups, persons to the district assembly. Their Farmer-Based Organization (FBO) such as participation in community development groundnut processing association, and other programmes is therefore through their organizations have been formed with the assistance of NGOs and the district assembly assembly person. Given that communities are (Cooperative Department and Department of largely consulted on projects in their Agricultural Development Unit (DADU)) communities, the participation of households
82 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment with the pursuit of more economic interests like securing credit and market access. However, participation in most of these associations is quite low (see Figure 7.6).
Figure 7.5: Participation in Community Development Meetings in the District.
Figure 7.6: Proportion of Households Belonging to Associations.
Figure 7.7: Type of Association Households Belong to (%).
Figure 7.8: Proportion of Households that Make Contributions to Their Associations.
Karaga District 83 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
In Figure 7.6 only 35 per cent of households in the 2008 household survey indicated they belonged to any grouping or association. The proportion of households in the rural district who belong to any association (37%) is larger than those in the urban district (25%). Figure 7.7 presents the type of association households belong to in the district. Being a predominantly agricultural area, most of the households surveyed belong to a farmer-based organization. Overall, 57 Figure 7.9: Type of Contribution Made to Their per cent of the surveyed household belongs Associations. Source: DAEA, 2008. to a farmer-based organization. The proportion is relatively larger in the urban Table 7.9: Access to Public Services in Karaga (57%t) than the rural (50% percent). Karaga District In the rural district, community-based Location Urban Rural All organizations are very prominent relative to Food Market Less than 14 52.7 17.4 27.1 the urban areas. The on-going MiDA FBO minutes training might have contributed to the larger 15–29 minutes 16.4 15.3 15.6 number of farmers belonging to FBOs. A 30–44 minutes 16.4 15.3 15.6 45–59 minutes 12.7 13.9 13.6 prerequisite for farmer training, community 60 minutes or more 1.8 38.2 28.1 market infrastructure and provision of credit Post Office is contingent on belonging to an FBO. Less than 14 58.8 10 24.6 minutes 15–29 minutes 17.6 8.8 11.4 Satisfaction with Quality of 30–44 minutes 0 17.5 12.3 Service Provision 45–59 minutes 14.7 16.2 15.8 60 minutes or more 8.8 47.6 35.9 Access to public services in the district Police Station Less than 14 58.8 7.7 20.2 includes the food market, post office, the minutes police station and legal services. In Table 15–29 minutes 14.7 9.5 10.8 7.9, it is shown that it takes (on the average) 30–44 minutes 2.9 24.8 19.4 45–59 minutes 14.7 20 18.7 30 to 45 minutes for more than 50 per cent of 60 minutes or more 8.8 38.1 30.9 respondents in the 2008 Household Survey to Source: DAEA, 2008. access public services. Rural populations find it more difficult to access public facilities. In the area of legal services, the Food markets are more easily accessed in proportion of households that have used legal less than 14 minutes by about 27 per cent of services of the district assembly in the last 12 households, compared to 24.6 per cent of months, according to the 2008 DAEA households to post office access and 20 per Household survey, has been low at 7 per cent to police station access within the same cent. As for satisfaction with legal service period (of less than 14 minutes). provision in the communities and by the district assembly, it is the perception that households are indifferent (Figure 7.10 and Figure 7.11).
84 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment Assessment of Governance Over the Past 12 Months
The UNESCAP7 defines governance as the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented. An analysis of governance focuses on the formal and informal actors involved in decision- making and implementing the decisions made and the formal and informal structures that have been set in place to arrive at and implement the decision. Government is one Figure 7.10: Proportion of Respondents who have of the actors in governance. Other actors used Legal Services in the Last 12 Months. involved in governance vary, depending on Source: DAEA, 2008. the level of government that is under discussion. In rural areas, for example, other In GPRS II, some pillars in the actors may include influential landlords, protection of rights under the rule of law and associations of peasant farmers, cooperatives, the public safety and security is the increase NGOs, research institutes, religious leaders, in the capacity of the legal sector to enhance finance institutions, political parties, the speedy and affordable access to justice, military, among others. Good governance is promoting the provision of legal aid to the said to have eight major characteristics. It is poor and improving internal security, among participatory, consensus-oriented, account- others. able, transparent, responsive, effective and Through the focus group discussions, efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows participants allude to relative security in their the rule of law. It assures that corruption is communities. They attribute this to the minimized, the views of minorities are taken control that the chiefs, opinion leaders and into account and that the voices of the most the assembly members in the community vulnerable in society are heard in decision- have over the people in the communities. All making. It is also responsive to the present the communities indicate that their traditional and future needs of society. authority system works and it is effective. The participants indicated that they do not relate much with the police, as they do not have problem with them. This suggests that not much attention is being paid to democratic governance; such populations tend to follow the advice of chiefs rather than the national executive order. There is need for the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to lift up its Figure 7.11: Household Satisfaction of the Quality of Legal Services. sensitization on local governance and its content. 7 United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (2009)
Karaga District 85 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Figure 7.12 presents the self assessment the district have seen positive change in of households in the district, according to the governance since 2007. 2008 DAEA Household Survey, on gover- nance in terms of access to security, legal Constraints in Resource services and access to the metropolitan Endowment Utilization assembly in the past 12 months. The proportion of households in the district who Constraints may arise from such factors of have seen improvement in governance in nature as size of land, type of vegetation and terms of access to security services, legal soils and climatic conditions or water bodies. services and in the change in the They may arise from human actions in the performance of metropolitan assembly in past: a district’s capital stock is pre- terms of development in their communities in determined by its past investment and its the last 12 months, from the 2008 DAEA working population, by its past education and Household Survey, are 51.4 per cent, 35 per social development plan implementation. Such constraints can be changed by human cent and 60.9 per cent respectively. Those action, but gradually. Constraints may also who have seen no change or deterioration in arise from the limits of available techno- the governance in terms of the delivery of logy; this again can be improved by research these services are 48.6 per cent, 65 per cent and development, but only gradually and and 39.1 per cent. Thus it can be concluded subject to uncertainty. Finally, constraints are that less than 50 per cent of the population in
86 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment
imposed on human agents by the need to motivate others; people will not work without pay or lend without interest. There are several constraints that limit the utilization of the numerous resource endowments in the Karaga district. Some of the main constraints are the vicious
cycle of poverty (that low productivity leads to low income, low income leads to low savings, and low savings leads to low investment and low investment to low productivity), low levels of production technology, high illiteracy rates and the under developed rural infrastructure.
Constraints in Human
Resource Utilization
Low education is one of the key constraints in human resource utilization. This has resulted in low productivity of agricultural and informal sector production is the low educational attainment of the population aged 6 years and above. From the 2008 DAEA
Household survey, more than three quarters of the population in the responding households did not have formal education (Table 7.10). It is common knowledge that the uneducated are more likely to remain poor, and the poor are more likely to be uneducated (or unskilled). It is a vicious cycle; the poor cannot afford education, Figure 7.12: Households’ Assessment of Governance in Terms of and the uneducated cannot hope Access to Security, Legal Services and Access to the Metropolitan Assembly in the Past 12 Months. to earn enough to overcome Source: DAEA, 2008. poverty.
Karaga District 87 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Table 7.10: Educational Attainment of others, are a major cause in the low Population Aged 6 Years and above (%) utilization rates and the degradation of the Level 2008 natural resources of land, forests and water None 79.5 bodies. In the Karaga district, it is Educated 20.5 Pre-school 9.0 acknowledged that several hundreds of Primary 60.0 hectares of land per annum are made Junior High/muddle school 18.0 unproductive through bushfires and other Senior High 12.0 Post secondary/tertiary 1.0 human activities. A major constraint is Source: DAEA, 2008. related to the erratic nature of the climatic factors. There is water scarcity due to Those with no education also lack job desertification and climate change. placements in the more productive economic International and trans-basin water sharing sectors that require English, reading and also lead to changes in available surface runoff. The on-going dam construction in writing skills, numeracy and analytical neighbouring Burkina Faso has been cited as ability. In the immediate post-independence contributing to the high variability and period, the government of Ghana tried to consequent prolonged droughts interspersed reduce the imbalance in education between with erratic floods. the northern territories and the rest of the country through the introduction of the free- Agricultural Impact on Lands and Soil fee education for the north. However, The farming systems in the district investments in infrastructure were not (compound farms and bush farms) have sustained, leading to poor quality and adjusted to external factors and exhibit either quantity of educational service. Educating all mixed cropping, mixed farming, inter- children in the Karaga district presents a cropping and mono cropping. The crops significant challenge, due to the large cultivated in the compound farms include number of children who live in remote, rural cereals (maize and sorghum), tobacco, yam areas of Karaga. High rates of poverty in and vegetable whereas those cultivated in rural areas limit educational opportunities bush farms include cowpea, groundnuts, because of demands for children’s labour, bambara groundnuts, maize, sorghum, millet, low levels of parental education and lack of yam and cassava. The bush farms are based access to good quality schooling. Based on on the bush fallow system in which cropping the household survey in 2008, rural children and fallow periods are alternated. The land who missed classes due to demands on their resources in the agricultural areas of the labour was about 50 per cent higher than district are under threat of degradation due to increased demand for agricultural products urban children. And because rural areas have from the rapid human population growth and larger populations of children, they account lack of appropriate farm technologies. This for 72 per cent of children who are not in has caused the land fallow period to be school in Karaga district. reduced with attendant declines in soil Constraints in Natural Resources fertility. Human error in the use of flood Utilization plains for agriculture contributes to flood damage and increased flood protection works In the natural resources utilization, backward and cost. Rainwater harvesting and manage- technology, rising population on marginal ment is the recommended practice for lands, desertification, conflicts, slash/burn agriculture in valley bottoms. This is scarcely and fragile soils, flood/erosion, among practised due mainly to lack of funds for
88 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment constructing the harvesting facilities, and to a activities such as salary of temporary staff less extent on lack of knowledge of and maintenance of infrastructure. New alternative and low cost harvesting strategies. infrastructure that requires huge capital investments have been planned, drawings Forest Product Exploitation designed and costing done; phasing of implementation has been slow due to lack as Charcoal and firewood are major income well as inadequate funds. Natural causes are earning sources for members of communities also a key constraint to utilization of water in the district. These products have become resources. The Karaga district has a few significantly commercialized in the district water bodies (including Nambrugu) and the since demand for them has risen sharply with rainfall pattern is erratic, resulting in the increase in the urbanized population in inadequate water for the community and in the region. The harvesting of these resources boreholes during the dry season. (forest product gathering) is usually made in relatively less sustainable ways. Some cut the Constraints in Institutions/Governance trees and shrubs without replacing them. Utilization Very soon the district will experience levels of forest product resource utilization that far The development planning, financing and exceeds the productive capacities of the implementation of projects are constrained exploited species to sustain exploitation. In by several factors. Tension between decen- addition, economic trees, shrubs and grasses tralized intents and the centralized reality are lost to bushfires every year due to human during project planning and implementation activities. This leads to environmental is the key constraint to the utilization of local degradation and loss of genetic resources. institutions/governance resources. Therefore the coordination mechanism is weak. Decen- Constraints in Infrastructure Resource tralized departments concerned with works, Utilization agriculture, education and health are strongly linked to their key regional and national level Human rather than natural causes constrain departments. The result is that budgeting for the availability and utilization of infras- specific projects is done at the centre to be tructure in the Karaga district. Until 2005, implemented by either the centre or the Karaga district was a sub-district under district with little control over funds. Gushiegu-Karaga district. The capital of the Recruitment and salaries are determined by latter was Gushiegu; the tendency was to use the central government; local administration the larger portion of the budget to bring the cannot hire and fire. Non-performing capital to a status that was ‘befitting.’ Karaga personnel could stay at post for a long time. and its several communities were not given Another constraint is the inadequate adequate attention. In 2005, Karaga started staffing and skills. There is only one staff at receiving its portion of the District Assembly the Department of Cooperatives and less than Common Fund; all moneys from internally generated sources also came under the 60 per cent of the required personnel are district’s control. The amount from the available for agriculture, social welfare and common fund is low and the IGF sources are community development. These are people- few — market-day tolls, stores, business centred departments; if the frontline staff is taxes — thus funds available for capital inadequate, minimum interaction will result investment are inadequate. A larger propor- in poor dissemination of relevant socio- tion of total funds is spent on recurrent economic and business management
Karaga District 89 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 information. Corruption, lack of accounta- materials and products from markets are bility and poor nature of consultative inappropriate — bicycles, donkey carts, mechanism that reflects different stakeholder tractors and low toner trucks. interest in all developmental processes, are A second source of danger for utiliza- also key constraints. tion of resources is the rising population. The In general, the lack of fiscal decentra- population growth rate of 3 per cent for lization and low budgetary allocation to local Northern region is considered high. In 2000, governance and administration are key the fertility rate of Gushiegu-Karaga district constraints to the utilization of institutions was estimated at 5.5, second highest in the for meeting the MDGs. region and higher than the regional average Hazards and Environmental Impact on of 4.9. Since land suitable for agriculture is Utilization of Resource Endowments not abundant, over-cropping and use of marginal lands result; agriculture remains the The continued application of backward key source of livelihood in the district. The technology, rising population, cultivation on third source of danger to resource utilization marginal lands, desertification, tribal is desertification. The Karaga district is in the conflicts and floods are described as hazards Sahel region; excessive tree felling and bush to development. The impact of these burning for agriculture, coupled with global elements on the utilization of resource climate change leads to desertification with endowment and the challenges posed to its consequent ills on rainfall patterns. The meeting the MDGs have been mixed. The erratic rainfall pattern leads to periods of resources in the Karaga district are largely drought and floods, which leads to crop put to agricultural production. Due to use of failure and low yields as well as sheet and backward technology, yields have been low gully erosion. Figure 7.13 shows the and distribution has not been effective. proportion of households in the district that Produce is largely non-traded and return on have been affected by hazards and investment remains low. Slash/burn is the environmental effects of flood, windstorm, commonest methods for land preparation; it drought and bushfires and the strategies creates fragile soils and results in low crop adopted to cope with these calamities. yields. There is over-dependence on local The proportion of all households in the crop seed varieties and breeds of animals; district who have been affected by floods pests and diseases are not managed with high increased from 58 per cent in 2007 to 60 per organic and inorganic chemicals. Small-scale cent in 2008. Yet some (22%) households do mixed cropping rather than large-scale and not adopt any control strategies. Those who plantation farming is carried out. The system do, use strategies such as construction of for production is not well developed; there is gutters to ensure proper drainage, avoiding farming in valleys, erecting pillars around over-dependence on the natural rainfall houses, early planting of food crops, planting pattern. Not much has been done with trees among others. Avoiding farming is alternative rain harvesting techniques for cited by about 21 per cent of all households agriculture. Livestock keeping is based on in the 2008 survey, but is cited by 40 per cent the extensive communal grazing system that of households in the rural areas of the district does not target the market. Due to poor road and only 2 per cent of urban district dwellers. surfaces, the vehicles used in transporting The next most cited for coping with flooding
90 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment is the creation of drainages (gutters), cited by but 21 per cent in the urban and 8 per cent in 14 per cent of all households in the district the rural district.
Figure 7.13: The Proportion of Households Affected by Disasters in the District and Strategies Adopted to Cope with such Disasters. Source: DAEA, 2008. With windstorm, the proportion of all adopted by households to cope with households in the metropolis who have been windstorm include planting of more trees affected increased from 21 per cent in 2007 around the house, use of effective roofing to 26 per cent in 2008. Strategies that are methods such as using strong materials like
Karaga District 91 Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment blocks to hold the roof firm, and using good district dwellers. The next most cited for and strong roofing materials (say aluminum coping with bushfires is the clearing of sheets). Planting of more trees around the bushes around the house. This was cited by house were cited by 64 per cent of all 20 per cent of all households in the district households in the 2008 survey, but are cited but 22 per cent in the urban and 16 per cent by 67 per cent of households in the rural in the rural district. areas of the district and 61 per cent of urban Another source of danger/hazard to metropolis dwellers. The next most cited for coping with windstorm is the use of effective resource utilization which could be over- roofing method, cited by 12 per cent of all looked are conflicts. The conflicts in households in the district but 9 per cent in the northern Ghana are mainly related to tribal urban and 16 per cent in the rural district. differences, chieftaincy disputes and political With drought, the proportion of all party differences. Although no clashes have households in the district who have been been recorded in the Karaga district, cases in affected increased from 32 per cent in 2007 neighbouring Gushiegu and Yendi some- to 34 per cent in 2008. However, urban times affect selected households in Karaga households affected reduced from 3 per cent area whose kith and kin are permanent to 2 per cent. Many households, especially in residents of these areas. Apart from creating urban areas do nothing to control the effect a poor image for the area, loss of productive of drought. The few in rural areas who do study the rainfall patterns, farm in valley time for farming and marketing could be bottoms and store enough food to last the significant. period. Analysis of rainfall pattern was cited Enhancing Utilization of by 26 per cent of rural households and none in urban households. Farmers would then Resource Endowments adopt early planting to make use of the first The nature of the property rights governing rains before the dry spells set in. Valley resource endowment use (the institution- bottom farming, the next most important resource access relationships) is a key strategy was also cited by 17 per cent of rural households and none by the urban determinant of how well producers and households in the district. consumers use the resources to enhance The proportion of all households in the livelihoods. When property-rights-systems district who have been affected by bushfire are universal, exclusive, transferable, and increased from 13 per cent in 2007 to 16 per enforceable, the owner of resource has a cent in 2008. However, urban households powerful incentive to use that resource affected reduced from 16 percent to 15 per efficiently because failing to do so would cent. Strategies that are adopted by result in a personal loss. For scarce natural households to cope with bushfires include resources, the owners derive a scarce rent. In education of household and community properly specified property right systems, members to heed the message of no bush this rent is not dissipated by competition. It burning, and clearing of bushes around serves the social purpose of allowing owners house, creating fire belts and resorts to early to efficiently balance their extraction and harvesting to avoid crop loss. Effective conservation decisions. education was cited by 34 per cent of all The 2008 DAEA Household Survey households in the 2008 survey, but is cited asked households the relevance of resources by 51 per cent of households in the urban available to them, the payments for and the areas of the district and 17 per cent of rural willingness to pay for these resources. These
Karaga District 91 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 are presented in Figures 7.14, 7.15 and 7.16 respectively. In Figure 7.14, over ninety-nine (99.6) per cent of households see the resource endow- ments as relevant to the socio- economic development of their communities. However, Figure 7.15 indicates that while 76 per cent of households indicate that nobody pays for the use of these resource endowments, 22 per cent indicates Figure 7.14: Relevance of Resources to Households in the Karaga District (%). that payments for the use of the resources are borne by the govern- ment (20%) or the community (2%) or they do not know (2%). In Figure 7.17, only 38 per cent of households interviewed say they are willing to pay for use of public resources such as piped water, clinic, electricity, schools, toilet, roads, police station, post office, among others in the district. That is, a larger Figure 7.15: Payment for Resources Use by Households in the proportion of households would like Karaga District (%). to see somebody else pay for their use of resource endowments.
Utilization of Resource Endowments and Links to MDGs
The utilization of the resource endowments in the district and its impacts on the livelihood of its people, conditioned on the constraints associated with the resource endow- ment utilization, impacts on the living conditions of the households and the Figure 7.16: Willingness to Pay for Resource Use by Households poverty outcomes of the citizenry. in the Karaga District (%). These are conditioned by the institutional-resource access relationships. of environmental resources; (b) halve by 2015, the proportion of people without Resource Endowments and Household sustainable access to safe drinking water and Service Provision basic sanitation, and (c) by 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the Goal seven of the MDG is to ensure lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers. environmental sustainability which is hinged Thus the institutional-resource access on three targets: (a) integrating the principles relationship must deliver safe drinking water, of sustainable development into country basic sanitation and decent housing for the policies and programmes and reverse the loss citizenry.
92 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment
Table 7.11 summarizes the Table 7.11: Summary of Outcomes of Household outcomes of service provision on Characteristics in the District (%) the households in the district, 2000 2003 DAEA Household Household conditioned, among others, on Census CWIQ Survey 2008 Characteristics the interaction between the Total Total Rural Urban Total institutions, communities and the Source of Lighting utilization of the resources Electricity 8.6 9.1 1.7 24.6 7.4 available. Housing conditions, Kerosene Lamp 90.1 89.6 87.9 75.4 84.8 Gas Lamp – – – – – sanitation and water are key Solar Energy – – – – – indicators in the assessment of Other 1.3 1.3 10.4 – 7.8 MDGs. In Table 7.11, of Source of Drinking Water prominence are the sources of Pipe-borne water (inside) – – – – – lighting (electricity), source of Pipe-borne water 2.3 0.7 0 0 0.9 (outside) drinking water, toilet facility and Purchase from vendor, – – – – – waste (solid and liquid) disposal. etc. Electricity as a source of lighting Wells 44.4 4.2 1.8 0 1.3 has seen some slight improve- Boreholes 25.5 52.4 89.6 93 86.5 ment since 2000. In 2000, 8.6 per River/Lake/Pond/Dam 27.3 36.5 12.2 7 10.9 Spring/Rain water – – – – – cent of households in the then Other 0.5 – – – 0.4 Gushiegu-Karaga district used Fuel for Cooking electricity. This increased Fuelwood 96.6 99 97.1 94.6 96.5 slightly to 9.1 per cent in 2003. Coconut husk – – – – – In the 2008 DAEA Household Charcoal 1.6 0.8 2.3 5 6.1 Survey, the proportion of Kerosene 1.1 0.2 0.6 0 0.4 Gas – – – – – households in the Karaga district Electricity – – – – – alone that was using electricity Other 0.1 0 0 0 0 as a source of lightning was 7.4 Toilet Facility per cent. There are disparities in None/beach/bush 90 94.1 85.1 63.2 79.9 the proportions between the rural Flush toilet 1.6 0 0 0 0 and urban district. There is a Pan/Bucket – – – – – larger concentration of KVIP 7.1 3.3 7.5 22.8 11.3 Pit Latrine 1.3 2.6 6.9 14 9 households in the urban areas Public Toilet – – – – – with electricity (24.6%) than the Other – – – – – rural dwellers (1.7%). The Solid Waste proportion of households in the Collected – – – – – district accessing pipe-borne Burned by Household – 5.2 23.1 21.1 22.6 water (either inside or outside) Public Dump – 3.1 16.2 52.6 25.2 Dumped elsewhere – 89.2 59.5 26.3 51.3 seems to be declining between Buried by Household – 1.6 1.2 0.7 0.9 2000 and 2008. In 2000, about 3 Other – – – – – per cent of the households could Liquid waste disposal source pipe-borne drinking Through sewage system – – – – – water. This reduced to less than 1 Thrown onto – – 61.3 78.9 65.7 street/outside per cent in 2003 and 2008. Thrown into gutter – – 12.1 15.8 13 The availability of toilet Thrown onto compound – – 26.6 5.3 21.3 facilities, particularly KVIP has Other – – – – – seen increases in the district. In Source: 2000 Population and Housing Census and 2003 CWIQ (GSS) 2000, 7 per cent of households and 2008 Household Survey.
Karaga District 93 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 could access this facility. In 2003, the Overall, the district is observed to have proportion reduced to 3 percent and then more proportion of the population who have increased to 11 per cent in 2008. Households done better relative to the national situation without toilet facilities, have therefore seen a in terms of adult literacy (knowledge) and decline in trend between 2000 and 2008. access to safe water. However, the district Waste disposal in the district, is also performed poorly relative to the national improving, somewhat. Households dumping situation in terms of proportion of solid waste elsewhere, other than at a public underweight children. The rapidly growing dump, burned or buried, decreased from 89 population poses question of food security in per cent in 2003, to 51 per cent in 2008. the district. Protein Energy Malnutrition Liquid waste disposal in the district among (PEM) is the most widespread and serious the surveyed households is usually dumped nutritional disorder in Ghana, especially on the street or outside (66%) or thrown into among children. It is manifested in mild to the gutter (13%). severe stunting, wasting, and underweight among children. The estimated HPI Resource Endowments and components and the other poverty indicators Poverty Indicator Outcomes in suggest that the incidence of poverty and the the Metropolis level of deprivation are higher among rural households than their urban counterparts. The first Millennium Development Goal Only conclusion from focus group (MDG) is to eradicate extreme poverty and discussion is used to describe the subjective hunger by 2015. The poverty situation in the assessment of poverty by the population in Tamale metropolis is described by Human the Karaga district. The situation mimics the Poverty Index (HPI) in Table 7.12. 2003 case. Subjectively, poverty based on the value judgment on the part of respondents in Table 7.12: Poverty Indicators, 2003: 2003 is summarized in Tables 7.13 and 7.14. National versus Karaga District In Table 7.13, most households consider Indicators National Karaga District themselves poor or very poor (45.6%). Human Poverty Index 41.8 – Using the level of happiness of % Adult illiteracy 46.6 90.6 households to capture their perception of Male 33.8 83.6 Female 57.5 96.8 poverty (Table 7.14) reveals that although % without access to 42.3 73.0 about 46 per cent of households in 2003 health service considered themselves to be either poor or Rural 57.6 very poor, poverty did not adversely affect Urban 21.4 % without access to 25.8 39.0 their happiness since over 70 per cent safe water claimed to be very happy or quite happy with Rural 36.9 life. Urban 12.6 % underweight 25.8 34.6 children Resource Endowments and Boys 27.8 Food Security Girls 23.8 Source: 2003 CWIQ. The eradication of hunger is one of the main * Refers to children whose weight is 2 standard deviations below the National Centre for Health goals of the MDG. The proportion of Statistics (NCHS) weight for age. households that faced difficulties in meeting food needs is used to capture the progress made in eradicating extreme hunger in the
94 Karaga District Utilization and Constraints in Resource Endowment
Table 7.13: Household Perception Some of the major reasons given for about Poverty of Household Head (%) difficulty in satisfying household food needs Perception by: 2003 in the past 12 months include poor harvest as Non-Poor 2.8 a result of climatic conditions, drought, pest, 9.5 Somewhat non-poor diseases, and high food prices as households Neither poor nor non-poor 42.5 Poor 28.3 sold most of their products right after Very Poor 17.3 harvest, thus exposing them to food Source: 2003 CWIQ (GSS) shortages later. Further analysis of survey Table 7.14: Household Perception of results showed that, about 50 per cent of their Economic Situation, 2003 (%) women heads complained about poor Variable Response % harvest, 25 per cent complained about Level of happiness Very happy 41.6 absence of income earning members and 25 Quite happy 28.6 Not very happy 18.8 per cent complained about high food process. Not at all happy 11.0 Only 3 per cent of men complained about Financial situation Very satisfied 5.4 absence of other income earning members. of Household Satisfied 18.5 Somewhat satisfied 28.0 Conclusion: Utilization of Somewhat 16.5 dissatisfied Infrastructure Resource to Meet Very dissatisfied 31.7 MDGs Overall economic Much worse now 10.3 situation of A little worse now 25.3 The overall assessment of the outcomes of household Same 13.8 against previous A little better now 44.9 the economic situation of the communities in year Much better now 5.5 the household suggests that communities in Don’t know 0.2 the district have not fully exploited the Overall economic Much worse now 5.4 situation of A little worse now 20.2 numerous resource endowments. Access to community against Same 15.9 and the use of the resources by households is previous year A little better now 40.4 complementary with the other forms of Much better now 17.0 Don’t know 1.0 capital and it is this asset complementarities Source: 2003 CWIQ (GSS) or “asset bundling” — increasing access to natural assets along with simultaneously district. Table 7.15 presents a picture of the enhancing access to physical, financial or hunger situation in the district in the past 12 human capital — that is particularly an months prior to the 2008 Household Survey. Overall, 62 per cent of households in the important mechanism for escaping poverty district indicate that it is not difficult in by strengthening the capabilities of the satisfying household food needs in the household. district. There are, however, gender and Human resource development and location differences. It is relatively more utilization concerning education, training, difficult to satisfy food needs in the Table 7.15: Difficulty in Satisfying Household Food Needs in the Past 12 urban district than in Months (%) the rural district; Period 2003 2008 and more difficult Location/ All Rural Urban All Rural Urban Men Wo- All Gender Ghana Ghana Ghana Karaga men among women- Difficult* 52.5 54.6 49.8 44.4 32.2 57.1 36.0 75.0 37.6 headed household Not difficult 47.5 45.4 50.2 55.6 67.8 42.9 64.0 20.0 62.4 than men-headed Source: 2008 Household Survey. one. * Responses to never and seldom encounter of difficulty.
Karaga District 95 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011 employment opportunities and the building of incentives for useful and productive activity are important in harnessing the resource endowments as human resource utilization is closely related to the strategy of economic, social as well as political growth of the locality. The changing institution- resource-access relationship that highlights the resource endowments and problems associated with the participation of indivi- duals in the district needs to be enhanced for broader community participation in socio- economic governance within the Karaga District Assembly.
96 Karaga District
Investment Opportunities, Constraints and Challenges in the District
CHAPTER 8 Investment Opportunities, Constraints and Challenges
in the District
Introduction intercropped with economic trees that are resilient to weather changes, sustain a stable Karaga is regarded as a “new district” since it environment, and creating a permanent stake was inaugurated in 2004. A large section of in land for poor — the strategy contains its population is poor. It has been suggested seven main components that include that to stimulate economic growth for the stimulating the modernization of agriculture poor, the number one approach is innovation. development and the competitiveness of It means that opportunities for investment in smallholders, initiating actions that would new areas or adopting new processes should stimulate investment and business develop- exist in areas where the poor live. Investment ment, enhance investments in strategically- opportunities exist when there is soundness targeted economic and social infrastructure of business environment with respect to and focusing on actions on environmental demand base, public infrastructure base, renewal, improved water resource manage- community and individual interests, political ment and disaster preparedness. The stability and a favourable policy and legal outcomes of these strategy thrusts must lead frameworks. There is recognition of this fact to significant gains in poverty reduction in Karaga district; the Assembly has under improved entrepreneurial opportune- envisaged in her development plan (2006– ties. It must also have potential to create jobs 2009) to lay “a solid economic infrastructure and wealth for both the entrepreneur and base and improved social services to serve as employees, be environmentally friendly both a springboard for rapid wealth creation and on-farm and off-farm and have relatively poverty reduction in the District” (KDA great potential for increasing female 2006). employment. Apart from the district development plans, a SADA sets out a comprehensive Investment Opportunities in the development strategy and action plan for District consideration by government, private sector Modernizing Agriculture and Associated and development partners in hastening Investment Opportunities development in Northern Ghana,8 including the Karaga district. Envisioned on a Forested Modernizing agricultural strategy lies in the North — where foodcrops and vegetables are market-based value-chain process that allows smallholder farmers to build assets, improve 8 Document: Strategic Directions for Sustainable productivity and adopt improved production Development of Northern Ghana, p.1
Karaga District 97 Karaga District Human Development Report 2010 methods through innovations and techno- pasture development can be promoted for logies that enhance changes in the product livestock business. Investments in fish mix. This modernization process must ensure farming and other aqua culture techniques the end product finds market — domestic or are possible in areas where pond and dam export. Needs assessments in investments in creation are feasible. Currently, households agriculture and related activities were that engage in this take it as a hobby. solicited from the focus group discussions Enhancing marketing opportunities of held with the communities and also with the agricultural products in the district must other stakeholders. The need for support for target the domestic and international markets. agricultural inputs in terms of combine The focus on the value-added chain with harvesters, fertilizers, and jobs for their more emphasis on products processed can artisans, as they are under-utilized for their increase the marketing opportunities. In skills were emphasized. Employment oppor- general, technology for value-added tunities for women were also a focus. The processing is available in the global market. overwhelming agreement is that financial For most value-added technology, the critical support can help expand businesses in petty issue is developing that technology so it is trading, fish trading, livestock rearing and appropriate to the producers and is economi- processing of local produce as the natural as cally feasible. With globalization, however, well as human resources in the district are consumers are becoming more aware of food less exploited. product characteristics. Increasingly, among In the FGDs, the modernization of the others (a) food safety and quality control food/natural resource extraction activities of have become driving forces in the food agriculture and related activities in the (including livestock) sector and (b) farm district were emphasized. Some of the main production is becoming more dependent on needs were in the modernization of the precise information to manage production extraction of the sheabutter; and improving driven by biological and environmental livestock rearing. factors, including integrated pest The district’s agricultural sector has management. Therefore to increase competi- many investment opportunities. With arable tiveness, both in the domestic and land (Volta basin, and savannah grassland, woodland and ochrosols) and available international areas, communities/individuals manpower, the conditions are favourable for must adopt mechanisms to offer agricultural investment in direct production, processing, products with improved consumer-driven transport, the provision of agricultural inputs attributes. The focus of the production sector and its marketing. In the area of production, must be encouraged to move away from just the main crops are rice, maize, cowpea, soya growing the agricultural products such as beans and rice. In the district and its soy, mango and cashew to value-addition. surrounding areas, farm estates that produce Non-Farm and Business Development cashew and mangoes are coming up. Opportunities Investment in fruit processing facility holds much promise for investors. There are also Non-farm businesses include off the farm numerous opportunities in cattle and poultry activities such as agrifood processing, farming, particularly for guinea fowl manufacturing of non-food items and production. Since Karaga is grassland, services. There are a few non-farm and off- sustainable grassland management such as farm businesses that are already being
98 Karaga District Investment Opportunities, Constraints and Challenges in the District explored in micro- and small-scale at home water from home industry, including level in the Karaga district. The major ones slaughterhouse remnants, animal dung and include sheabutter and groundnut oil sewage, can be converted into carbon dioxide processing by the indigenes. The opportuni- and methane through anaerobic digestion. ties to be explored are: The biogas can be used for cooking and fuel, 1. Factory type businesses organized and the waste product as a fertilizer. Biogas through non-indigene and foreign investment opportunities exist; already a investors. The latter is needed to invest small-scale facility generated from waste in in the huge capital requirement for the Tamale metropolis are being utilized at purchasing machinery, raw materials the Regional Hospital (being used for and other industrial products. refrigeration and the kitchen), among others. 2. Bread baking. Bread is gradually Properly designed and used, a biogas digester becoming a staple in the snack as well mitigates a wide spectrum of environmental undesirables, including improving sanitation; as breakfast needs of children and reducing greenhouse gas emissions; reducing adults, especially wage earners and urban dwellers. There is opportunity for demand for wood and charcoal for cooking, investment in bakery in the district and therefore helps preserve forested areas and natural vegetation. Biogas generated can since the current inflow is traced be bottled for home use. The opportunity of largely to Tamale, the regional capital which is more than 2 hours’ drive away slaughter houses to generate biogas from its from Karaga town. waste can enhance her activities. Waste from livestock sources carries high levels of 3. Service businesses. With urbanization micro-organisms that cause disease in comes the need for services in humans and animals but are excellent source construction and repairs, tailoring, of material for generating biogas. hairdressing, hotel and restaurants, The district is yet to be in a position to business document development and produce a wide range of capital (inter- internet browsing as well as private mediate) goods from the light industrial health centres and educational enclave. For now the concentration can be on institutions. Karaga town has adequate the manufacture of farm implants such as land area to accommodate the cutlasses, hoes and axes. With time, vehicle infrastructure required for the provision repairs, fabrication of spare parts and the of such services. bullock ploughs and trailers as well as fuel tanks, water tanks and containers are all The Waste Management Department potential investment-deepening opportuni- has the potential, with collaborative partners, ties, assured of strong market demand. to turn the waste generated in urban Karaga Leather works, pottery and carpentry are in establishing a plant that could process sectors potential investors would do well to methane from solid waste to provide biogas explore as they also offer opportunities for energy. Biogas technology, which converts profit. biological waste into energy, is considered It is envisaged that when the light by many experts to be an excellent tool for industrial enclave is developed, clients from improving life, livelihood, and health in the the cities and bigger towns such as Tamale, developing world. Bolga and Bawku as well as neighbouring The district has enough raw materials Burkina Faso and Togo will patronize the for producing biogas. Waste and polluted products and services. The challenge will be
Karaga District 99 Karaga District Human Development Report 2010 with financing any contracts that will Currently, there are a few formal education develop with large-scale requests. Financing centres (both public and private) in the these contracts could be a major problem as district though opportunities exist to enhance most of the artisans have low income, save investments in infrastructure improvement minimum or no amounts and lack collateral through solely public, private or private- to meet formal bank loan demands. Small- public partnerships. By improving the human scale funding arrangements by financial infrastructure, institutions in the Northern institutions would be needed to enhance the Region and the academic institutions in the productivity of these artisans to create capital, Tamale: such as the University of employment for the youth. The implication is Development Studies, Tamale Polytechnic, that, the Credit Union of Ghana, ARB APEX SARI, among others, with their highly Bank as well as the Ghana MicroFinance trained human resources and infrastructure, Network (GHAMFIN), would do well to potential investors could be attracted to set organize for the establishment of community up various businesses in the district. credit unions, rural bank savings, and loans companies to intermediate in the financial Skill Training Centres system in the district. At the moment no visible financial services are on-going. There are no skills training centres in the district. The closest one is the GRATIS-ITTU centre in Tamale which trains the youth in artisanal skills. The centre focuses on three major skill development areas: metal welding, and wood-work and admits applicants with the JSS as the minimum require-ments. Some of the finished products the institute churns out are agro- processing machinery, which
Picture 8.1: Guest House Under Construction in Karaga Town. targets women in the rural areas and women groups in groundnut, Karaga is yet to develop its guest shea-butter and gari processing, among housing. The initiative by the Dizembilla others. It takes 3 years to train about 10–15 Nutrition Centre is seen as the beginning of trainees. After graduation, the Karaga youth many such inns and hotels for the many can go home and start a trade or join established companies. development partners whose growing interest in the district is getting them to spend more ICT and Internet Expansion days during visits. Once spaces for conference activities are provided, several The opportunities in ICT to enhance entre- organizations will seek to hold meetings, preneurship and employment in the district seminars and conferences with the facilities. are yet to be fully explored. There are Other associated investment opportunities business centres in Karaga town which that would be opened up with the guest provide word processing, photocopy, houses are restaurants and other food joints. binding, lamination and other services. Using ICT for accelerated economic development, Investments in Human Resource opportunities exist to bridge the digital gap Development by increasing human capacity building
100 Karaga District Investment Opportunities, Constraints and Challenges in the District through training workshops, seminars and the business centres will seek to diversify courses in collaboration with local and their services and include internet services. international institutions which will visit the In order to improve the linkage between district. Presently there is no internet service agricultural research and rural radio in the in Karaga; government ministries and region, two types of partner organizations — agencies are yet to be hooked up to the the NARC and radio stations are conducting internet. The cost of establishment and farm broadcasting in local language(s). The maintenance is huge; the demand side does linkages can be expanded to provide not appear ready to patronize such services. information to enhance the modernization It is hoped that as the district opens up to process in the agricultural sector. more investors and development partners, the need for internet services will be intense and
Picture 8.2: New Buildings for Tamale Polytechnic. Picture 8.3: New Building for UDS in Tamale.
Securing the Natural Resource region are well-known. There are also opportunities in the promotion of conver- Environmental soundness is a basic lively- sions to LPG use in homes and schools and hood outcome. When achieved, it ensures the establishment of partnerships between the security of natural resources; woody trees district and local gas distributors to sustain species are protected and water bodies are the supply of gas. Promotion of the use of conserved. Investment opportunities are seen gas for domestic and industrial purposes will in the following: reduce the pressure on woodlots and charcoal. Alternative Energy Generation Generally, the NewEnergy, focuses on energy and the environment, among others Alternative energy sources to the national and builds the capacity of the community/ electricity grid are being championed by partners in collaboration with the district NGOs in the region. Solar home systems have been installed in a few homes. Solar assembly by supporting groups with funds lamps for areas not on the VRA have been and enhancing the training and development provided. Investment opportunities therefore of local artisans for self-employment exist in the development and promotion of opportunities. The NGO has developed a PV solar lighting in the Karaga district. The Multifunctional Platform (a 3-in-1 equip- experiments of the New Energy NGO in the ment) used for rice, sheabutter and maize
Karaga District 101 Investment Opportunities, Constraints and Challenges in the District grinding for communities. The LPG Project chain. One niche of the afforestation strategy has led to an increase in the number of is for investments in fruit trees: organic dealers in the supply of gas, particularly in mango, cashew and sheabutter trees. Not the regional capital. As the Karaga district only do these green the environment, they grows, the opportunities for investments also provide income and employment in the needing such alternative energy sources will short- to long-term for the people. In addition also increase. to the fruit trees, investment opportunities exist in the development and promotion of the establishment of woodlots in schools and comm-unities. Teak is one important tree that thrives well in the district and has a high economic value. Leguminous species and others that can be harvested as woodlots for sale to the wood processing industry are being explored. With urbanization, the demand for furniture for homes and offices will increase. Several collabora- tive efforts exist between NGOs and development-oriented pro- grammes such as the UNDP Picture 8.4: Efficient Energy-savings Systems Developed by NewEnergy, an NGO in the Northern Region. sponsored projects to provide seedlings to communities and schools to embark on afforestation projects.
Water Reservoir Systems
The expansion of the district as it grows to full district status will require additional water supplies for domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes. Investment opportunities exist in rainwater harvesting by homes and schools. Additional opportunities exist in Picture 8.5: A Rain Harvesting Facility in the Karaga Town. strengthening water reservoirs for dry season irrigation and livestock watering Afforestation in the District and strengthening private participation in The vision of Northern Development managing water dams and reservoirs. In the Initiative (NDI) of a forested north is woven dry season, water rationing for vegetable around afforestation, using economic trees production, livestock watering and domestic (perennials) that provide the opportunity for use could be enhanced through the judicious exporting and processing along the value use of drip systems for agriculture. There are,
Karaga District 101 Karaga District Human Development Report 2010 therefore, opportunities to invest in drip and there is adequate training, relevant irrigation systems. The district assembly and personnel will be attracted and retained in the NGOs are investing in providing water points Karaga district. Further improvement in other to ensure that children could save time supporting infrastructure such as road accessing water for domestic use to go to construction, water and sanitation and staff school and use of overhead tanks to ensure accommodation will be needed to sustain safe home processing activities. improvements in human resource in the district. Constraints and Challenges to In addition to incentives to attract Investment Opportunities investments, strengthening institutions to secure the natural and other resource base to The potential of the district to contribute to sustain investments is also important. the economic development of the northern Securing the resource base depends on credit region rests on the exploitation of the provision, generating appropriate revenues abundant natural resources. Investment from the existing use of the resources and opportunities in the district, however, face safeguarding them. In general, there are several challenges. To promote investments several institutions in the Northern region and sustain them, land tenure security catering to providing credit facilities. Yet, the combined with improvements in Karaga districts’ involvement in the formal infrastructure, financial support, markets and financial system is not visible; there is no appropriate technology and enhanced rural bank, credit unions nor savings and security, are germane. The decision to invest loans companies. Credit provision in the and the choice of investment depend on the district could enhance not only the invest- perceived level of risks, security of capital, ment opportunities; it could foster the rate of return to capital and the costs and efficient exploitation and utilization of the problems involved in the transfer and natural resource endowments in the district. management of the investment. Investment Capital investments require huge initial incentive packages need to be developed by cash outflows that cannot be raised by the the Karaga district assembly (KDA) along current indigenous population nor the district with technical support from other govern- assembly. Foreign direct investment will be mental and non-governmental organizations needed in the manufacturing sector. Local to facilitate the natural resource endowments businessmen from other regions that are in the development of the district. relatively more developed (such as Kumasi The current poverty levels and lack of and Accra) will be needed. Otherwise, strong infrastructure for basic schools and health groups registered and trained formally as care in many of the remote communities lead cooperatives will be needed to pool resources to children dropping out of school. There is to supply raw materials and easily access no strong counselling unit at the school or loans from financial institutions, including community level; when girls get pregnant development banks such as ADB, SG-SSB, before completing the JHS or SHS, they are GCB, rural banks and savings and loans not encouraged to go back to school. Boys companies. are called upon to work on the farms or take Securing the resource base also depends stocks to market during market-days. These on strong promotional and regulatory contribute to weaken the human resource institutions. The promotion of both private base of future investors. If more education and government businesses (especially those and health infrastructure facilities are put up, outside agriculture) should be planned by
102 Karaga District Investment Opportunities, Constraints and Challenges in the District governmental agencies at the district level. government agencies to sensitize the public However, trade and industry departments or enforce the contracts has not been strong. such as the Business Advisory Centres and Fire service plays an important role in Cooperative departments are not well safeguarding the natural resources in the equipped. Large-scale business development region. Besides rescuing victims in accidents documentation is centralized; most of the at homes and in fires, the service intensively processes (certification by Food and Drugs educate the community about precautions of Board, Environmental Protection Agency, fires; they educate farmers on bushfires and Standards Board, business registration, their consequences, particularly on the among others) have to be done in the national degradation of lands, more importantly, capital, Accra. There are regional branches of during the harmattan period. Unfortunately these agencies; but they lack adequate the district lacks a fire station which could logistics and personnel to handle the help combat bush and domestic fires. complexities of investments. Sometimes it is Therefore, the district needs to be provided the weakness of the linkages among the with a fire station well equipped with tools agencies that slows down the business like fire fighting appliances, Rescue Tender development process. The creation of job and vans for emergency use (Rescue Van). opportunities outside the agricultural sector At maximum operations, a fire station for a will be important for ensuring an increase in typical district like Karaga should have 3 fire the average number of years that children fighting appliances and also needs an spend in school. ambulance and water tanker services. To go The revenue mobilization of the new around the deficiency, the Natural Disaster district is improving as new structures are Mobilization has been put on alert to assist. instituted. The IRS (located at the regional Again fire fighting youth groups (volun- capital) is gradually cutting into the informal teers) have been formed in some of the sector; it is getting closer to the people by communities to assist when there is a fire giving them tax education and insisting on call. the submission of returns promptly, paying Agricultural Extension Services need to regular visits to withholding tax agents, and be supported to develop agriculture beyond periodic withholding auditing. There is more subsistence standards and to enhance the room for improvement if the IRS were to agricultural sector to be competitive. The operate at full capacity. There are certain capacity of the Savannah Agricultural areas that potentially the IRS can cover, Research Institute (SARI) to conduct basic particularly in the informal sector, but cannot and adaptive researches and to effectively do so now because of several logistical disseminate the findings to farmers is problems (low budgetary support and lack of imperative. Presently NGOs such as TiDA logistics such as vehicles). There are 11 have partnered the district agricultural administrative districts in the Northern development unit (DADU) in its extension region, but it has only one vehicle. There are services. Such activities need to be staffing problems which are said to be coordinated properly to ensure effectiveness compounded by the conflict in the Northern of extension delivery. region. Several incentive packages related to The District is part of the agricultural corporate tax holidays for businesses located project being implemented by the in rural areas, rebates and zero tariff on Millennium Development Authority. The imported agro inputs have been spelt out in strengthening of the project has led to the the investment code. However, the will of partnering with the farmer-based
Karaga District 103 Karaga District Human Development Report 2010 organizations (FBOs). Members of selected roles in the area of Agriculture, Construction, FBOs are benefitting from various training Education as well as Water and Sanitation programmes to upgrade and update their are fairly significant. Communities are skills in production, processing and supported with programmes to mitigate marketing of their produce. The challenge emergency situations, including provision of lies with the sustainability of such training food aid. The support given to NGOs by the programmes after the project period. Again, KDA must further be strengthened to how non-FBO farmers will gain from the enhance the public-private partnerships. knowledge is questionable. Then, the extent Finally, community conflicts are another to which specific issues that will enhance the challenge to investment opportunities in capacity of vulnerable groups (women, the Karaga District. Karaga district is in the aged and youth) to perform their roles in the Dagbon area; it is bounded in the east by the farm-to-market-chain-links should be of Gushiegu district and south by Yendi great concern too. municipal all well-known conflict zones. Encouraging the involvement of NGOs Prior to year 2000 tribal wars, chieftaincy in the district to sustain the natural resource disputes and political conflicts occurred endowments is imperative. At the moment between the ruling government and the key most of the internationally funded NGOs that minority party. The recurrence of these have greater capacity are located in the conflicts in the 2000s is also well-known. regional capital. The poor road condition and This situation is a major source of disincen- low level infrastructure and services tive to investors whose capital inflows can (education, health, water and sanitation) have create jobs and opportunities for wealth in been the major problem preventing such the Karaga district. Interventions by govern- organizations from locating within the ment agencies, NGOs, faith-based organiza- District. Nevertheless, the specific and broad tions (FBOs) and traditional leaders have yet Department of Cooperatives and the DA to achieve desired results.
104 Karaga District Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
CHAPTER 9
Conclusion and the Way Forward
The three dimensions of human develop- holding); there are those with large number ment, longevity, knowledge and standard of of children and adults whose labour living, as well as the eight MDGs are all productivity is low. The district’s economy is dependent on effective resource development yet to record significant diversification; the and utilization. The Karaga district has proportion of the workforce in non- recorded some progress in all the compo- agriculture activities is low. Although the nents of the human development index. The incidence of unemployment has not risen, knowledge component of the index has many people would rather they had wage slightly improved. Gross enrolment rates at all levels of education in the district are rather than self-employment in farming better in 2008 than they were five years ago ventures. in the then Gushiegu-Karaga district. Adult literacy rates improved for both men and Progress Towards the MDGs women. It was not possible to measure life and Utilization of Natural expectancy at birth directly. The report Resources therefore examined some of the factors that can influence life expectancy at birth such as An evaluation of trends in the MDG sanitation, use of ante-natal and post-natal indicators also presents a mixed picture clinics, the proportion of supervised births, (Table 7.1). The first MDG, eradicating immunization against the six-killer diseases extreme poverty and hunger, was measured and actions households take to protect as: the increase in the proportion of themselves against malaria. An increasing households that reported never experiencing proportion of mothers reported having difficulty in satisfying their food needs in the attended post-natal clinics, and being last 12 months. About 63 per cent of supervised during childbirth by a skilled households never encountered any difficulty health professional. Many (94%) households in satisfying food needs in 2008 compared protect themselves against malaria. However, with about 43 per cent in 2003, suggesting health risks persist because the drainage progress in the effort to eradicate hunger in system in the district does not ensure the safe the district. However, for many of the disposal of liquid waste and solid waste. farming households, food availability could Agriculture, crop farming and livestock be better but for the floods during the period. keeping, is key to income generation in the The district should be able to achieve district. The fluctuations in food prices (low universal primary education by 2015 since at bumper harvest and high during lean much progress was made in improving net season) create low per capita income and primary enrolment rates between 2003 and inequalities. The poor are those households 2008. This optimism is based on the fact that that cannot hold large stocks due to about 74 per cent of all children between 6 inadequate or poor storage facilities and low and 16 years were enrolled in schools in output (due to crop failure or small land 2008 as against 67 per cent in 2003. The
106 Karaga District Conclusion and the Way Forward risks regarding the attainment of universal facilities. These are particular concerns in primary education involve the uneven quality communities other than Karaga, the district of education in the schools and the evident capital, and must be addressed if children are difficulty in providing adequate school to attend school regularly.
Table 9.1: Summary of Progress Towards MGDs in Karaga District Millennium Development Goal Situation in Karaga District Goal 1: Eradication of extreme Decline in proportion of households that never encountered any poverty and hunger difficulty in satisfying food needs since 2003 Goal 2: Achieve universal primary Improvement in net school enrolment by 43% over the 2007 figure education Increase in literacy rate of 15–24 age group Goal 3: Promote gender equality Improvement in gender parity index at all levels though fewer girls and empower women than boys passed the BECE at JHS Narrowing gender gap of literacy rates among the youth aged 15–24 Increase in the proportion of women in wage or regular employment in non-agricultural sector A goal of the 2006–2009 Medium term development plan is: To increase the participation of women in decision-making and increase their access to ownership and control of economic resources Increase in proportion of women in the district assembly Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Eight percent of households had loss of child (under 5) in 2008. Infant mortality rate is high; in 2005 it was 5.7/1000 Improvement in post-natal care of mothers; proportion of 1-year old children immunized against killer diseases increased. Goal 5: Improve maternal mortality Maternal mortality ratio is not low; it was 271/100,000 in 2005 Increase in proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel Improvement of women (12–49 years) that had live births Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria Only one HIV/AIDs case reported in 2008 and other diseases Increasing use of treated bet nets to prevent malaria Goal 7: Ensure environmental The principles of sustainable development has been incorporated sustainability into the 2006–2009 Medium term development plan and programmes Slower decline in forest cover due to human activities such as farming, charcoal burning, and use of firewood for cooking Proportion of households using solid fuels between 2003 and 2008 did not reduce Increase in proportion of rural households with access to an improved water source between 2000 and 2008 Only slight increase in proportion of households with access to toilet facilities, safe sanitation and waste management No slum dwellers in urban towns of the district Goal 8: Develop a global A key strategy for decent work and productive work for youth has partnership for development been developed as the Youth-in-Agriculture employment programme at the district Increased presence of Aid agencies in the district is addressing food security and health issues Access to affordable essential drugs in the Karaga district is yet to be realized. There is no pharmacy shop in the district. There is one licensed chemical seller apart from the dispensary at the hospital In cooperation with private sector, benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications has improved; about 50% of households in Karaga town have one member with mobile phone
Karaga District 107 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
Although the district has not yet been worsened in that opportunities in non- able to attain the 2005 gender parity target at agriculture related work are hardly available primary and secondary levels, it is likely to for them. Many young men and women who reach this target for primary and junior have completed the JHS would like to secondary schools by 2015. Improvements in engage in wage employment. With respect to the quality of education and the attainment of information and communication, the benefits the universal primary education target will of information technology are being slowly make it possible to significantly improve the realized by residents of Karaga District with literacy rates of 15–24 year-olds by 2015. the introduction and use of mobile There is significant progress in the telephones. health indicators to achieve the fourth, fifth Resource Agriculture in the district is and sixth MDGs. About 80 per cent of rain-fed, thus exposing livelihoods to the pregnant women attend ante-natal clinics, vagaries of the weather. Unfavourable although there is not enough information to weather conditions in most parts of the determine whether the prescribed number of district in 2007 and 2008 meant that some visits is made by all expectant mothers. An households reported shocks due to drought or increasing proportion of births are supervised floods. The circumstances of several by skilled personnel. Urban women have a households could have been improved if the particular advantage because of their greater weather conditions in these two years had proximity to health centres compared to the been good. Deforestation can affect climatic situation of rural women. Available evidence conditions in the district adversely. This will suggests that not much more needs to be pose increased risks for farming households, done to encourage the use of treated bed nets especially if no progress is made in water by both children and adults. conservation practices and irrigation. Another challenge for the district is to make significant progress in improving its The Way Forward indicators of environmental sustainability under the seventh MDG. Global climate The Medium-Term Development Plan for change is increasing the incidence of 2006–2009 and the SADA contain strategies desertification. Tree planting has been which, if effectively implemented, can adopted by urban dwellers to check the effect increase the speed with which the district of wind storms. However, there has been no moves towards the MDGs and improves significant decline in the use of solid fuels human development levels. for cooking. The growing urbanization and The difficulties the district faces in the relatively slower expansion in utilities, generating the expected revenues must be drainage systems and safe sanitation, pose resolved. A review must be taken of the risks that can compromise not only the incentive and supervising and monitoring attainment of the seventh goal, but also the structures that regulate revenue generation. attainment of goals 4 and 6. Insufficient resources to finance development The focus of the eighth MDG is on projects pose a major risk to the attainment developing a global partnership for of the MDGs in the district. Many of the development which is more the mandate of recommendations require an increase in the national than the district level. However, spending as well as improved efficiency in with respect to employment target, under- resource use and allocation. employment rate among the youth has
108 Karaga District Conclusion and the Way Forward
Although the present tax base is not strengthened to ensure that teachers are being efficiently and effectively exploited to performing as they should. generate revenues to finance the projects in About half the population of 18 year- the development plan, the district must be olds in 2008 are no longer in school, despite innovative in creating incentives for an the fact that almost all children between 6 increase in investment that will contribute to and 16 years are in school. The relatively improving employment opportunities and lower gross and net senior secondary expand the revenue base. enrolment rates suggest that several children Agriculture is the main sector of do not continue with their education after employment for more than two-thirds of completing the BECE. This is particularly so working adults in the district. However, for girls. This trend must be reversed if agriculture is rain-fed and there are few improvements in human development are to supporting infrastructure such as irrigation be recorded for all genders. Strategies should facilities and markets. This is a major source of threat to exploring the wide range of be developed to make school an interesting businesses that agriculture and its services place to go to and remain in, especially for can provide. The District Assembly should women and rural children. Investment in investigate the possibility and feasibility of additional years of education by the partnerships with the private sector and household or individual will only be communities to develop water harvesting, undertaken if further education is perceived conservation and irrigation projects. To to generate higher returns than the alternative increase the likelihood of achieving universal of less education. The high under-employ- primary education by 2015, strategies must ment rate and limited job opportunities in be developed to encourage parents and non-agricultural ventures for school leavers guardians to send their children to school at in the district have been identified as the recommended age. The school feeding disincentives to invest in further education programme that is being implemented in after the completion of junior secondary some schools in the district is probably one school. Thus, the creation of job oppor- such incentive that may encourage enrolment tunities outside the agriculture sector will be at the recommended age. Parents send important for ensuring an increase in the children to school to at least be able to read average number of years that children spend and write. If this does not happen early in school. enough, both the parent and the child will be The district should undertake a careful disillusioned with schooling and this creates review of its water and sanitation projects the conditions for irregular attendance and and plans. Much progress has been made in the child not completing a level of education. providing safe water in the district. Yet a Formal schooling is the key determinant of large proportion of the district’s population intellectual ability, analytical skills and does not have access to safe drinking water. managerial skills needed to exploit This is a problem in some urban communi- opportunities for investment or supporting ties that the district should be able to address businesses as employable skills. Thus, more in the near future. Access to safe sanitation is effort should be made to improve learning lower in urban compared to rural communi- and teaching methods, particularly in rural ties. Drainage and waste disposal facilities schools. The monitoring and supervision should be provided to reduce the incidence of system in the education sector must be health hazards.
Karaga District 109 Karaga District Human Development Report 2011
The District Health Directorate should in the district must expand its operations and review its strategy to increase the usage of get closer to the people by giving them tax insecticide-treated bed nets in the district. education and helping to ease the several Working with the environmental agency and logistical problems the district faces. The sanitary inspectors, incentives and sanctions Ghana National Fire Service and the should be developed to encourage communi- Agricultural Extension Services need support ties to maintain healthy environs to reduce in safeguarding the natural resources in the the risk of disease. This study has revealed district. The Extension Services should help that more information should be provided to develop agriculture beyond subsistence about the components of the National Health standards as well as make the agricultural Insurance Scheme to ensure that the elderly sector more competitive. The capacity of are able to fully participate in it. The District SARI to conduct basic research and to Health Directorate should review the current effectively disseminate the findings to information strategy and its content. farmers after adapting findings to local Investment opportunities in the district conditions is imperative. Halving the number face several challenges. To promote and of people whose income is less than one sustain investments, land tenure security dollar and the proportion who suffer from combined with improvements in infrastruc- hunger in the district will greatly depend on ture, financial support, markets, appropriate agricultural resource exploitation and technology and enhanced security, are protection. germane. Investment incentive packages The district and other stakeholders needs to be developed by the KDA, along should encourage, support and help sustain with technical support from other govern- the formation of various Farmer-Based mental and non-governmental organizations Organizations (FBOs). This will enable to facilitate the exploitation of natural members to always benefit from various resource endowments in the district to generate income to reduce poverty and help training programmes to upgrade and update make progress on the MDGs. their skills in production, processing and In addition to incentives to attract marketing of their produce. Training of investments, strengthening institutions to FBOs should be targeted to address specific secure resource bases and promote issues that will enhance the capacity of the businesses are also important. Securing the vulnerable to perform their roles in the farm- resource base depends on credit provision, to-market-chain-links. Encouraging the generating appropriate revenues from the involvement of NGOs in the district to existing use of the resources, and sustain the natural resource endowments is safeguarding them. There are no institutions imperative. Several NGOs play specific and providing credit facilities in the district; broad roles in the areas of Agriculture, developing such could enhance not only the Construction, and Water and Sanitation. The investment opportunities, but also foster the support given to NGOs by the district assem- efficient exploitation and utilization of the bly must further be strengthened to enhance natural resource endowments in the district. Revenue mobilization is critical and the IRS the public-private sector partnerships.
110 Karaga District Conclusion and the Way Forward References
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Housing Census, Ghana Statistical Crowley, Eve & Kirsten Appendini (1999), Service, Accra, Ghana. “Rural poverty: population dynamics,
local institutions and access to Sen, Amartya (2000), Social exclusion: resources.” Food and Agriculture concept, application, and scrutiny. Organization (FAO). Sustainable Deve- Social Development Papers No. 1. lopment Department: Dimensions Office of Environment and Social [Electronic Journal] Development Asian Development Bank http://www.fao.org/sd/WPdirect/WPre0 Manila, Philippines, p. 3. 091.htm
KDA (2008), Medium-Term Development United Nations Economic and Social Plan. Karaga District Assembly, Commission for Asia and Pacific Karaga, Ghana. (2009): What is Good Governance?
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