Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Ghana’s Minister designate for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, has pledged to tackle social deprivation in the country’s coastal communities.
During her parliamentary vetting, Lartey outlined her plans to address the widespread poverty and socio-economic challenges facing these areas, which she described as hubs of deprivation.
“Clearly, most of the coastal communities are quite deprived or have a lot of the population falling within the deprived communities,” Lartey remarked, drawing attention to the urgent need for focused interventions. She emphasized that her ministry’s programs would specifically target these areas, ensuring that the people who need assistance most would receive it.
Lartey spoke candidly about the socio-economic struggles of coastal communities, noting that many of these areas are home to some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations. “The intention is to minimise poverty as much as possible,” she said, underscoring her commitment to reducing inequalities and ensuring that all Ghanaians benefit from national initiatives.
Part of her strategy involves strengthening existing programs like the school feeding initiative and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) project, which have already been crucial tools in addressing poverty. Lartey made it clear that she would ensure no community, including her own constituency of Krowor and her hometown of Nungua, would be overlooked. “With programs and activities from the ministry that will benefit all Ghanaians, I will ensure that Krowor or Nungua is not excluded,” she assured.
Lartey’s comments signal more than just a commitment to rhetoric; they reflect a determined focus on ensuring that the most marginalized communities are included in national development efforts. With a ministry responsible for addressing some of Ghana’s most pressing social challenges, Lartey’s approach could set a significant precedent for how coastal and other underserved communities are integrated into the country’s development agenda.
