On 13 November 2026, Plan International Ghana formally handed over a women‑friendly solar hub to women in the Kumbungu and Tolon districts at Voggu in the Northern Region. The facility, part of the Women’s Innovation for Sustainable Enterprises (WISE) Project, is intended to serve entrepreneurs and farmers from about 60 communities across the two districts and beyond.
The project is a joint effort between Plan International Ghana and Plan International Canada, working with WIDO and Urbanet, and is funded by Global Affairs Canada. It ran from January 2020 to March 2025, covering 150 communities in five districts.
Country Director Hajia Muniratu Issifu explained that WISE was designed to remove barriers preventing women from fully engaging in economic activities. “Empowering women requires more than business training or access to financial services. It requires creating an enabling environment where women can access information, build confidence, connect with opportunities, make informed decisions and grow their businesses,” she said at the ceremony.
Muniratu highlighted the project’s gender‑transformative approach, which involved working with women entrepreneurs, engaging men and community leaders as allies, improving access to financial and business services, and supporting women to build networks that contribute to their economic advancement. The initiative has reportedly increased the Women and Girls Empowerment Index by 11.2 per cent and lowered the likelihood of participating households living below the poverty line by 10.5 per cent.
She noted that rural women often lack easy access to information, services and networks that could help their businesses grow. “Sometimes, the challenge is not a lack of ideas or determination, but the distance between women and the opportunities available to them,” she added. The solar hub is intended to provide a community‑based space where women can access business development services, market information, digital platforms and referral support.
Mr Basit Jibreel of Urbanet assured partners that the organisation would manage and maintain the facility on behalf of the women, bringing the equipment closer to the communities and making services easier to access. Chief of Voggu Sulemana Saaka thanked Plan International Ghana and its partners, urging beneficiaries to make good use of the facility for the benefit of people in both districts.
Looking ahead, the Country Director called on traditional leaders, community representatives and women entrepreneurs to take collective ownership of the hub, ensuring it remains welcoming and accessible, especially to young people seeking support to develop their ideas and strengthen their livelihoods.
