Towards Poverty Reduction in Northern Ghana: Contribution of the Northern Rural Growth Programme in Nadowli and Wa West Districts in Upper West Region

This study seeks to find out the contribution of an on-going government initiative (NRGP) to improved living conditions of farmers in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Services provided under the NRGP are in the agricultural food crop sector and include new and improved methods of farming (extension services), fertilizer, tractor service, seeds and marketing. Using both primary and secondary data, it is observed that individuals who are participating in the NRGP are experiencing some positive changes in their lives in the areas of in-come generation and consumption in context of delivery of NRGP services and other technical challenges in accessing inputs. There is also a positive cor-relation between improved maize harvests and increasing availability of mechanized inputs. Despite improved incomes, an appreciable proportion of respondents still earn barely above the national minimum wage. Re-design of the NRGP to consider some peculiar characteristics of poor people in order for them to participate and derive maximum benefits from the NRGP is recommended for programmatic success.