The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and the Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly have signed a formal cooperation agreement to resolve longstanding governance tensions that have persisted since Sagnarigu was carved out of the original Tamale Metropolitan area, establishing a joint committee to coordinate urban services across the two jurisdictions.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at a ceremony in Tamale on April 12, 2026, formalises an Interjurisdictional Coordination Management Committee (ICMC) designed to align planning, sanitation, waste management and water access across administrative boundaries that have become increasingly blurred as the Greater Tamale Area expands.
The agreement is supported by the European Union (EU) through a €14.7 million Sustainable Cities Project implemented by Expertise France under the Ministest of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive Alhaji Adam Abubakari Takoro and Sagnarigu Municipal Chief Executive Abdulai Imoro Gong signed the MoU in the presence of Northern Regional Minister Ali Adolf John and EU Ambassador to Ghana Rune Skinnebach.
Ambassador Skinnebach declared the ICMC was not an administrative burden but a practical tool. “What happens in one area affects the others. This committee is not a new administration burden; it is a tool for harmony, efficiency and better services,” he declared.
The Northern Regional Minister acknowledged the roots of the problem directly, noting that frictions had lingered since the creation of Sagnarigu Municipality and called on both assemblies to focus on shared sanitation infrastructure and road networks that cut across the two districts.
Phase One of the Sustainable Cities Project covers urban governance, environmental sustainability, waste management, water access and green infrastructure across seven northern cities including Tamale, Sagnarigu, Wa, Yconcludei, Damongo and Bolgatanga. Phase Two is expected to scale up with investment in modern sanitation plants, hoapplyhold toilets, climate resilience infrastructure and integrated urban planning.
The ICMC will coordinate joint actions in solid waste collection and segregation, portable water access and recreational infrastructure, with procurement processes already under way and equipment delivery expected in coming months.
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