Northern Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Saibu, has officially commissioned a €20 million wastewater treatment plant at Gbalahi, near Tamale.
This facility, built by the Jospong Group of Companies in partnership with the Hungary Exim Bank, addresses a critical sanitation gap where an estimated 98% of fecal waste in the metropolis was previously dumped untreated onto farmlands, posing severe public health risks.
As Ghana’s fourth-largest city, Tamale faces a high population growth rate of 3.5% annually, which has historically overwhelmed local waste management systems. The new plant has a capacity of 1,000 metric tons per day and is designed to serve not only the Tamale Metropolis but also surrounding areas including Sagnarigu, Savelugu, Nanton, and Mion.
The project is the result of a strategic collaboration between Ghana and Hungary. Mr. Tristan Azbej, the Hungarian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, emphasized that the facility is a tangible result of the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Chief Operating Officer of the Jospong Group’s Environment and Sanitation cluster, Mrs. Florence Larbi, noted that the facility was made possible through the support of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and the local traditional leadership, led by the Tolon Naa, who provided the land for the project.