Majority in Northern Ghana lack vital assets for livelihoods – CDD-Ghana Study
Seven out of every ten people in northern Ghana lack access to essential productive assets needed to support their livelihoods.
This was revealed in a baseline study conducted by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), in partnership with CARO Ghana and funded by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).
The survey, which covered 15 districts across the Upper East, Upper West and North East regions, found that only 30 percent of communities have adequate resources to sustain their livelihoods.
It also highlighted gaps in financial management and marketing skills among residents.
Presenting the findings at a stakeholder dialogue session, a CDD-Ghana programme officer explained that productive assets such as land, farming tools and livestock remain out of reach for the majority.
“With the baseline survey, we realised that out of every ten people, seven don’t have access to productive assets. When we talk about productive assets, we mean land, farming tools and livestock. There were also disparities in access across different communities,” the officer said.
The report underscored the economic vulnerabilities in the northern sector. With most households lacking foundational assets, many remain exposed to shocks such as drought, health crises or economic downturns, with limited means to recover.
This lack of access also drives rural-urban migration, particularly among the youth, and pushes families into risky or unstable livelihoods, threatening long-term social cohesion.
CDD-Ghana stressed that the findings are not just statistics but a call to action. Without productive assets and capacity-building support, aspirations for sustenance, stability and prosperity will remain out of reach for many communities in northern Ghana.
