Tamale Mayor Outlines 23% First-Quarter Performance
The Mayor of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Adam Abubakari Takoro, has outlined an ambitious development and accountability agenda anchored on infrastructure expansion, agricultural transformation, education support and youth employment, while reaffirming commitments to transparency and citizen participation in governance.
Speaking at the Assembly’s 2026 Town Hall Meeting held on May 10, Mr. Takoro said the engagement forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s resetting agenda and government’s broader accountability framework aimed at strengthening public trust and improving service delivery at the local level.
According to him, the initiative marks the first structured town hall meeting of its kind in the metropolis, designed to deepen public engagement and enable residents to track development projects, policies and budget implementation across communities.
He noted that Tamale, as the only metropolitan assembly in the five northern regions, serves as a key commercial and administrative hub linking northern Ghana to neighbouring countries including Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and Togo.
“Tamale remains the only metropolitan assembly in Ghana’s five northern regions and serves as a commercial and administrative hub,” he said, adding that the city’s strategic position presents significant opportunities for trade and agricultural expansion.
The Mayor said the metropolis, with an estimated population of over 409,000, continues to face governance and development pressures, including drug abuse, petty crime and occasional local tensions. However, he noted that collaboration between the Assembly, security agencies, traditional leaders and religious authorities has helped improve stability.
He commended anti-drug operations by security services, which he said have contributed to reducing drug-related activities in the metropolis.
On internal revenue mobilisation, Mr. Takoro announced that the Assembly is targeting over GH¢5.7 million in 2026. He revealed that GH¢1.36 million had already been collected by the end of the first quarter, representing approximately 23% of the annual target.
He identified property rate collection as a key weak area, adding that the Assembly will reorganise its 41 electoral areas into dedicated revenue collection zones. This will be followed by a public education campaign, ahead of intensified enforcement measures scheduled for June 2026.
In addition, he disclosed that the Assembly received more than GH¢6.2 million from the District Assemblies Common Fund for the fourth quarter of 2025, alongside allocations for persons with disabilities, HIV/AIDS programmes and Member of Parliament-led development projects. It is also awaiting over GH¢8.2 million under the Responsiveness Factor Grant, based on its 2024 performance assessment.
On infrastructure and social services, the Mayor highlighted ongoing education projects, including classroom block construction at Dalogyili, Gumbihini and Lamashegu, as well as the distribution of desks and learning materials to schools. He also commended Members of Parliament for supporting over 1,800 BECE candidates through remedial classes, transport assistance and learning materials.
In the health sector, he said improvements at the Tamale Teaching Hospital have enhanced healthcare delivery across the northern belt, while new CHPS compounds have been completed at Kudula and Dohinayili to expand primary healthcare access.
