The World Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting farmers in northern Ghana who have been severely impacted by this year’s drought.

During a tour of the Upper East Region, the World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Robert Taliercio O’Brien, encouraged affected farmers to remain resilient despite the challenges.

O’Brien visited project sites under the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), a World Bank-funded initiative designed to strengthen food systems across Ghana and the sub-region in the face of climate-related agricultural crises. Speaking during interactions with farmers and media, he praised the determination of the farmers he met.

“As demoralising and heartbreaking as this is, I am highly motivated by the steel purpose and resolve of the indefatigable farmers I have met, to take it all in their stride and forge ahead,” he said. “The World Bank stands with you in these trying times, and we are committed to continuing support to build and promote robust value chain systems to ensure that we emerge steadfast and even stronger during and after unforeseen, unavoidable tests of nature.”

Communities within World Bank-funded irrigation sites were shielded from the worst effects of the drought, thanks to the irrigation systems that enabled them to engage in dry-season farming. O’Brien, along with teams from the World Bank Ghana and FSRP, inspected several facilities within the Tono Irrigation Scheme, which had been rehabilitated under the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP).

Among the key areas inspected were the dam wall, reservoir, spillway, and an automated intake structure that regulates water flow into the main irrigation canal. O’Brien also toured a solar-powered facility that delivers water to higher farmlands, engaging with farmers along the way.

Under the GCAP, the World Bank and the Government of Ghana made significant investments in rehabilitating four major irrigation schemes: the Kpong Irrigation Scheme (KIS), Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Scheme (KLBIS), Tono Irrigation Scheme (TIS), and Vea Irrigation Scheme (VIS). These efforts are now being extended through the FSRP.

Looking forward, O’Brien highlighted ongoing projects, particularly the completion of work on the Vea and Tono schemes. He assured farmers that the World Bank’s support would go beyond funding, pledging that the institution would remain actively involved on the ground to ensure food security objectives are met. “We shall be with you on the ground, every step of the way; and we shall not relent until our full objective of credible food security has been met.”

Senior Agricultural Economist of World Bank Ghana and Task Team Leader of FSRP, Ashwini Sebastian, emphasized that irrigation alone was not sufficient to deliver high-quality yields. She stressed the need for other value chain interventions, including the use of climate-smart seeds and innovative farming methods, to boost agricultural productivity.

FSRP Project Coordinator Osei Owusu-Agyeman added that, in response to climate variability, the program would support the development of a new national irrigation policy aimed at redefining the role of irrigation in Ghana’s agricultural landscape.

The FSRP is a regional initiative focused on building the resilience of agri-food systems, enhancing preparedness against food insecurity, and promoting harmonized agricultural markets across West Africa. In Ghana, the program is spearheaded by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, with key interventions in rice, maize, broiler poultry, soybeans, and tomato production.

Participating countries in the broader program include Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sierra Leone, and Senegal.