The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has inaugurated the Board of the Zongo Development Fund at the Jubilee House in Accra on Wednesday, 9 August 2022.

Dr Bawumia also administered the swearing-in ceremony of the eleven-member Board, which is chaired by Mr Seidu H Nasigri. 

Addressing members of the board after swearing them into office, Dr Bawumia urged the members to "work assiduously with all stakeholders, to ensure that the ZDF continues to deliver on its mandate." 

The Zongo Development Fund, Dr Bawumia noted, is very dear to the "heart of the President and government and all of us" because it was set up to bridge the development gap between Zongo communities and other parts of the country. 

"Since the passing of the ZDF Bill and the signing of the Act by the President in 2018, the development of Zongos, have, for the first time since independence, been included in the national budget, and the impact is so obvious," Dr Bawumia said. 

"As we envisioned, the ZDF has been a vehicle for inclusive, sustainable development for Zongo communities delivering projects such as the renovation and construction of classroom blocks, clinics, drainage systems, water systems, security installations, bridges, roads, entrepreneurial support, and educational scholarships, Astroturfs, among others." 

The Vice-President continued that as part of the government’s broader vision to widen opportunities to education, the ZDF's has prioritised investment in education.  

"This has resulted in the construction of a number of modern educational facilities such as classroom blocks, ICT centres, and libraries in many Zongos." 

"Also, about 40 brilliant but needy Zongo students are currently in Cuba training to be medical doctors, thanks to the vision of this government to ensure inclusive development for all." 

"Not only that; the ZDF has also given out hundreds of tertiary educational grants to young people from the Zongos to pursue tertiary education." 

Dr Bawumia reiterated the government's commitment to delivering more for Zongo communities "in our quest to ensure inclusive development." 

"Surely, ours is not the politics of rice and sugar. We promised the people of Zongo and we are delivering through sustainable policy, with education as the catalyst." 

"There is so much work to do to ensure that the ZDF spreads its development to more Zongos across the country," Dr Bawumia told the board members. 

Members of the Board are Mr Seidu H Nasigri, Alhaji (Chairman),  Arafat Sulemana (CEO), Ahmed Saed, Hajia Barkisu Seidu Bawie, Chief Dalhu S. Abdul Mumin, Sagnari Naa Amb. Yakubu Abdulai, Chief Manmoud Dandey, Rev. Dr. Cyril Gershon Kwao Fayose, Chief Alhaji Shakson Osumanu Issahaku and Ahmed Abdulai Abu.