Accra – Wednesday July 24, 2019: Fifteen Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been honoured at a ceremony held at the Marriott hotel in Accra to recognise and award deserving MMDAs for their contribution in the management of urban liquid waste through innovative partnerships, technology adoption and financing models.
The Sanitation Challenge for Ghana (SC4Gh) competition is an initiative that encourages inclusive partnership with the private sector and creates competition among MMDAs to design and implement innovative strategies in solving liquid waste issues in the country.
The Head of the Local Government Service, Ing. Dr Nana Ato Arthur was among government functionaries who graced the event.
Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) emerged ultimate winners in the Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies category and was awarded with a citation and a cash prize of Four Hundred Thousand Pounds (£400,000). They showcased innovative partnership with the private sector, strong leadership commitment and adherence to the sanitation value chain. The Assembly is expected to use the money to implement sanitation related activities in its jurisdiction.
Efutu Municipal Assembly was second and took home an amount of Two Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Pounds (£225,000) for innovative partnership with the private sector. In the third place was Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), which was awarded for innovativeness in public engagement. STMA also received an amount of One Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Pounds (£125,000).
In the District Assembly category, Nanumba North District Assembly was adjudged the overall best and received a sum of Two Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand Pounds (£285,000). In the second place was Kwahu East District Assembly, which showcased innovativeness and strong commitment to the sanitation value chain. They received an amount of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds (£150,000).
For the special awards category, Savelugu; Prestea Huni-Valley; Offinso North and Kassena-Nankena Municipal Assemblies received an amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pounds (£25,000) each. Other Assemblies also received citations and plaques for their exceptional roles played in ensuring improved sanitation in their jurisdictions.
The Sanitation Challenge for Ghana competition was opened to all MMDAs in 2015 of which One Hundred and Twenty Eight (128) proposals were received and 15 eventually assessed after submitting evidence of implementation of their strategies. The sanitation challenge for Ghana is part of an action research programme aimed to test the applicability and effectiveness of innovation prizes for addressing critical development challenges in sanitation; climate change adaption and energy access for the world’s poorest people in low income households.
The competition was funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented by IMC worldwide and IRC Ghana with support from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.