The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Nandom in the Upper West Region, Anthony Ziniel, has assured traders and investors of a business-friendly environment, urging them to take advantage of the municipality’s development potential and growing infrastructure.
He said the assembly was committed to improving local infrastructure, strengthening public services and creating an environment conducive to business growth, despite challenges with internally generated funds (IGF).
Mr. Ziniel gave the assurance in an interview with members of the Parliamentary Press Corps on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after appearing before Parliament’s Local Government Committee.
He highlighted the municipality’s performance in the 2025 District Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT), explaining that Nandom scored 84 out of 100, placing it among the highest-performing assemblies alongside Mampong.
According to him, the assessment evaluates how metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies utilise statutory funds and comply with established local government procedures.
“The 2025 assessment ranked Nandom among the highest-performing assemblies, alongside Mampong. We scored 84 out of 100,” he said, adding that the assessment was conducted annually by the Ministry of Local Government.
Infrastructure and Development Projects
The MCE said the assembly had completed and commissioned several development projects, including the drilling of 15 boreholes to improve access to water.
He also listed the construction of two CHPS compounds and three school blocks, alongside renovations to the magistrate’s bungalow, other official residences and the MCE’s bungalow.
Mr. Ziniel said the assembly was pursuing additional projects through the procurement process, stressing that it remained committed to expanding infrastructure to improve living conditions and support economic activities.
He maintained that Nandom had made significant progress in road infrastructure, although more work was needed to address deteriorating sections and improve connectivity within the municipality.
Responding to concerns about the condition of some roads, he said repair works were underway on the main road from Lawra towards Nandom, with contractors patching potholes.
He added that the assembly was looking forward to the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme to support further improvements to the road network.
24-Hour Economy Market Project
Mr. Ziniel also provided an update on the municipality’s 24-hour economy market project, explaining that construction was ongoing and the contractor had been on site for approximately six months.
He said the contractor had been given 30 months to complete the project, leaving about 24 months for the remaining works.
The MCE explained that the construction of the market had necessitated the relocation of the magistrate court, which previously occupied part of the three-acre site earmarked for the project.
According to him, the assembly temporarily relocated the court to another location but was now working towards providing a permanent facility.
“The reason why we are building a court is that when we were constructing our 24-hour economy market, the court was located on a three-acre plot of land. The only structure on that land was the court. So what we did was to remove that court,” he explained.
He stressed that the new court project was necessary to provide a permanent facility for judicial services following the relocation.
Low Revenue Remains a Challenge
Despite the development gains, Mr. Ziniel identified low internally generated funds as one of the municipality’s major challenges.
He said the assembly was intensifying efforts to improve revenue mobilisation, adding that traditional authorities and assembly members had been engaged to support the process.
“Our IGF is very low, so we have been putting in a lot of effort to see how we can increase our IGF generation,” he said.
He expressed optimism that stronger collaboration among the assembly, chiefs and community representatives would improve revenue collection and provide additional resources for development.
Addressing concerns about resistance from market traders during revenue collection, Mr. Ziniel said some traders had become uncomfortable with efforts to enforce regular payments because they were not accustomed to consistent collection.
He explained that he personally visited the market regularly to ensure that traders paid the required fees, insisting that improved compliance was necessary to increase the assembly’s revenue base.
Assembly Meetings Open to Media
The MCE also welcomed calls for greater transparency in local governance, saying the assembly was prepared to allow media organisations to broadcast its general assembly meetings live.
He said local radio stations were routinely invited to cover the meetings and that journalists interested in broadcasting the proceedings were welcome.
“We have nothing to hide. We want to market Nandom, so any opportunity to market Nandom is welcome,” he stated.
Mr. Ziniel invited media organisations to attend the assembly’s scheduled general meeting on Friday and broadcast the proceedings to enable residents to follow discussions on local development.
He said the assembly viewed media engagement as an important means of informing the public about its activities and attracting attention to investment opportunities in the municipality.
Security Situation
On security, Mr. Ziniel acknowledged occasional incidents of petty robbery but maintained that Nandom did not face major security challenges.
He said isolated incidents occurred from time to time, including cases involving people travelling at night, but argued that such incidents did not constitute a widespread security crisis in the municipality.
The MCE reiterated his invitation to traders, investors and other stakeholders to visit Nandom, engage with the assembly and explore opportunities for business and development.
He said the municipality remained committed to improving infrastructure, strengthening revenue mobilisation and promoting transparency as part of efforts to accelerate local economic growth.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
