Mr John Mikal Kvistad, the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, has commended Hen Mpoano, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), for its work in promoting sustainable fisheries, marine ecosystem protection, and costal livelihood empowerment for inclusive development.
He gave the commendation when he led a team from the Norwegian Embassy to assess the impacts of the Norwegian Government’s supported initiatives being implemented by the NGO within some coastal communities.
It was also to enable the team to gain insights into the progress being made towards ecosystem restoration and resilience, particularly on Ghana’s recently declared first ever Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Greater Cape Three Points enclave.
They visited Butre, Cape Three Points, and Princess Town communities in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region.
The Norwegian Government through its development cooperation is currently supporting three initiatives being implemented by Hen Mpoano and partner organisations namely; Sustainable Oceans Project, Gender-Responsive Conservation, and Economic Mobility and Protection of Women Youth and Ecosystems for Resilient Fisheries.
Mr Kvistad said his visit formed part of the Government of Norway’s continued commitment to supporting sustainable ocean management, fisheries governance, climate resilience, food security, and blue economy development in Ghana.
He said: “Our local partners Hen Mpoano are doing well and I am here to see some of the results, because it is important to see what is happening on the ground and not always read reports and I am satisfied with what I have seen.”
He praised the NGO for their hard work and diligence in implementing supportive initiatives within coastal communities, saying; “They have been doing this for a long time, and the more reason why we are supporting them is because they are professional and very good at what they do.”
Mr Kofi Agbogah, the Executive Director of Hen Mpoano, expressed gratitude to the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana for his acknowledgement of the impactful work they were doing in their project communities.
He noted that the MPA represented a major investment in the country’s sustainable ocean management, and asked the Norwegian Government to continue to support NGO’s efforts in leading the charge to make the MPA a success.
By Emmanuel Gamson