NGOs and Economic Security in Ghana

In the rugged, sun-scorched landscapes of Ghana’s Upper West Region, where the rhythms of life are dictated by rainfall and the resilience of its people is tested by poverty, food insecurity, and limited economic opportunity, a quiet but profound transformation is underway. NGOs and Economic Security in Ghana: Supporting Livelihoods and Economic Development in Jirapa Municipality of the Upper West Region, Ghana offers a groundbreaking examination of how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are stepping into the breach left by inadequate state capacity to forge pathways out of poverty and build lasting economic security for some of Ghana’s most vulnerable communities. Jirapa Municipality, a territory of 1,188.6 square kilometers bordering the Black Volta River and Burkina Faso, is home to over 91,000 people whose livelihoods depend precariously on subsistence agriculture . With 64.1 percent of the workforce engaged in farming, the municipality’s economy-like much of northern Ghana-is hostage to a single rainfall pattern and a long, punishing dry season . It is against this backdrop of structural vulnerability that the authors, Christopher Noyuoro, Frank Kannigenye Teng-Zeng, and Joseph Kwabena Manboah-Rockson of the Department of History and Political Science at SDD-UBIDS, situate their landmark study on the role of NGOs in promoting human security through economic development. This book makes a compelling case that in contexts where the state’s reach is limited and public service delivery remains insufficient, non-state actors have become indispensable architects of economic resilience. The authors challenge traditional notions of security that prioritize state protection, arguing instead for a human security framework that places the individual-their freedom from want, hunger, and economic vulnerability-at the center of development discourse . Through meticulous research and analysis, they demonstrate how organizations like World Vision International (WVI) have become critical partners in addressing the multifaceted challenges facing Jirapa’s communities.