Tamale:Activista Ghana, a youth-led social movement, has called for the rehabilitation of the Nyohini Dam in the Tamale Metropolis. The organization aims to improve access to water and support the livelihoods of local residents by restoring the dam, which has become less effective as an essential water source for the community.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Hamdan Wumpeka Amadu, Regional Coordinator of Activista Ghana, highlighted that the dam's rehabilitation is crucial, especially in the face of increasing water scarcity affecting communities in Tamale. During a community clean-up exercise at the dam, organized by the Northern Regional Chapter of Activista Ghana in partnership with other youth groups and community members, Mr. Amadu emphasized the dam's potential to support domestic activities, livestock production, and dry-season farming.
The clean-up exercise was funded by ActionAid Ghana and supported by the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and various youth groups, including Ghana Offline Community, Young Urban Women Movement, Young Female Platform, Youth Action Movement, REEP Ghana, She Leads Movement, Northern Regional Youth Network, Northern Regional Youth Parliament, and the Centre for Active Citizenship. Mr. Amadu stated that Activista Ghana would prepare a report with observations and recommendations from the exercise to be submitted to the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, ActionAid Ghana, and other relevant institutions to garner support for the dam's restoration.
Mr. Amadu also proposed that authorities and development partners consider constructing a mechanized borehole and connecting it to existing water points to provide residents with safer drinking water while supporting the dam's rehabilitation. Mr. Yakubu Hamza, Assembly Member for Nyohini South Electoral Area, praised the initiative and encouraged greater community involvement in environmental maintenance. He noted that while the community had repeatedly appealed for desilting of the dam, the desired intervention had yet to be realized. Mr. Hamza stressed that any rehabilitation program should incorporate safety measures to protect residents, particularly children, from potential risks associated with the dam.