Background
The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) as part of its on-going project ‘’Strengthening Farmers’ Voices to Promote Accountability and Inclusive Decision-Making in Ghana’’ organized a one-day capacity building session for members of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) in the Wa Municipal of the Upper West Region with support from the Star Ghana Foundation.
The Muti-stakeholder Platform comprises representatives from the Wa Municipal Assembly, PFAG district executives, Civil Society Organisations, processors, aggregators, traditional authorities, and youth and women’s groups, and was strategically constituted as part of the project approach to engage duty bearers and rights holders, tackle bottlenecks affecting smallholder farmers and deepen inclusive governance and accountability at the local level.
SESSION HIGHLIGHTS
Safeguarding & Inclusive Engagement
During the safeguarding and inclusive engagement session, Dr. Roger Akanbisik led participants through principles of safe, respectful, and inclusive engagement, covering safeguarding concerns, stakeholder commitments, and reporting mechanisms. He stressed that all actors must protect children, vulnerable adults, and community members from abuse, exploitation, and discrimination. He urged members to ensure that any safeguarding concerns are addressed promptly, confidentially, and with dignity.
Municipal Composite Budget Analysis
Dr. Benjamin Sarfo, Programmes Officer of PFAG, unpacked the 2026 Wa Municipal Assembly composite budget. The analysis revealed a stark structural gap, where Agriculture serves as the main driver of the local economy, employing about 70% of the district’s active population, but rather receives only 6.4% of the total budget, making it the third lowest funded sector, behind Infrastructure (44.0%), Social Services (37.6%), and Management & Administration (16.6%). It was revealed that, 77% of the agricultural allocation goes to capital and operational cost which is mostly donor funded, leaving the remaining 23% for salaries. Key agricultural components such as post-harvest storage, farm inputs, dedicated women farmer budget, FBO support, and Good Agricultural Practices had no budget lines within the assembly’s composite budget. Dr. Sarfo used these findings to anchor a strong advocacy agenda for the MSP going forward.
Advocacy for Accountability and Inclusive Decision Making
Dr. Sarfo further equipped MSP members with advocacy tools and frameworks, emphasizing that effective advocacy messages must be clear, fact-based, solution-oriented, concise, and respectful. He called on the platform to leverage its collective voice to demand improved policy responsiveness, enhanced accountability in service delivery, and sustained constructive engagement with local governance structures fostering shared understanding and coordinated action to address systemic agricultural challenges in the municipality.
The participants expressed satisfaction with the knowledge gained and indicated their commitment to work with each other to ensure that, farmers needs and concerns within the municipality are addressed. Mr. Salifu Amadu, lead convenor for the MSP in Wa Municipal who doubles as the PFAG Regional focal person for the Upper West region indicated that “He is happy to gain this insight about how the Wa Municipal composite budget was drafted and submitted, leaving Agriculture with only 6.4% of the total share. He termed the session as an eye-opener.” Mr. Salahudeen Sadat, the Municipal planning officer in his submission explained that, though the figures capture is a truly reflection of the assembly’s composite budget, it should be treated as estimates since actual allocation to the assembly sometimes differ from what has been presented coupled with delays and other infractions.
Madam Dong-Bamaana Laadi Gloria, PFAG women organizer in Wa Municipal added that “I am shocked to see no budget lines for specific programmes for women and youth in the Municipality’. PFAG’s presentations have been eye-opening, and women and youth within the Municipal must act now to demand for what they deserve.
Other stakeholders including a presentative from the Wa Naa palace, Naa Ibrahim Saaka, indicated that “the kind of information shared here can serve as a powerful instrument in the platforms advocacy agenda. According to him the MSP platform must be sustained beyond the project lifespan to ensure that right holders are tracked to deliver on their mandate“, while Mrs. Fatimatu Osmanu from the Municipal Coordinating Assembly added that “We will canvas the needed support and resource to ensure that the MSP strive to achieve inclusive agricultural growth in the Municipality.”
NEXT STEPS
All participants pledged their utmost commitment to monitor and track every budget line, using the PFAG scorecard and the provisions of the Right to Information Act, to ensure allocations are used for their intended purposes. Dr. Sarfo thanked and tasked MSP members to disseminate insights from the training to community members at the grassroots level, deepening awareness and strengthening collective advocacy across the district.