On Friday, 22nd August 2025, the Nkaben Area Council in the Afigya Kwabre South District came alive as residents, traditional leaders, youth groups, and Assembly officials gathered at the Pentecost Church auditorium for a Community Needs Assessment programme. The event provided a platform for community members to outline pressing developmental challenges and propose priorities that would improve living conditions in the area.
Delivering her keynote address, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Patricia Pearl Ankrah, urged the youth to take advantage of the government’s Apprenticeship Programme as a pathway to employment and self-reliance. She encouraged them to embrace vocational and technical training, which she described as critical for sustainable livelihoods.
Hon. Ankrah assured residents of communities near the quarry site that they would not be left out of the district’s development agenda. She further pledged the construction of a bridge to connect hard-to-reach communities and reiterated her commitment to reshaping inner roads within the Nkaben Area Council to enhance economic activities and social access.
On transportation, the DCE announced that she had negotiated with the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) to deploy three buses to serve routes from Kejetia to Afrancho, Buoho, and Kodie, at an affordable fare of GH₵5.00. She expressed optimism that the initiative would ease transportation challenges in the area.
Hon. Ankrah also called on chiefs, elders, and residents to foster unity and contribute to community initiatives, particularly by supporting fuel needs for the drip machine to facilitate road reshaping. She stressed that collective action remained the fastest route to development.
The District Coordinating Director educated participants on the importance of tax compliance, noting that internally generated funds were essential for financing local projects such as street lighting, pothole patching, and road maintenance. She emphasized that strong local revenue performance also influenced government support through the District Assemblies Common Fund.
Development Planning Officer encouraged residents to actively raise issues for Assembly consideration and to initiate community projects that could later attract Assembly support. He explained that the participatory approach ensured grassroots priorities were integrated into district development planning.
During the exercise, area councils were grouped to deliberate and identify their most pressing needs. The following projects were prioritized:
- Reshaping of inner roads
- Installation of streetlights
- Construction of mechanized boreholes
- Building of a fence wall for Krobo School
- Construction of a market
- Establishment of a police post
At the end of the programme, participants expressed satisfaction that their voices had been heard and pledged to collaborate with the Assembly to ensure that the prioritized projects were realized.
