Shamadu stood a short distance from me. He was peering into the grassless distance. He clasped his flute behind him. He made the flute himself, he later told me, and he loved to play it. He was bare chested and he wore no footwear. He only had on him a tattered brown pair of shorts for clothing. His gaze was fixed into the distance as though he was expecting a sudden appearance of something, may be anything, because his bright beautiful young eyes looked hopeful. I beckoned him to come. But he hesitated. He looked at me warily. I was a stranger to his village in Kumbun-Kukuo, in the Tolon/Kumbungu District of the Northern Region, not too far away from Tamale, but difficult to reach. And when Shamadu finally lowered his guard and approached me, I stretched my hand to shake his. He looked at me carefully again, as though he was sizing me up, and then he reluctantly shook mine shyly. I asked him how old he was, and he told me he was eight years old, but he looked 12. I then asked him to play a tune for me. Again, after some hesitation he blew away his flute, made from a piece of PCV pipe, and a melodious tune so soothing to the soul in a hot savannah afternoon rang out. It became apparent to me that Shamadu was a gifted flutist. But did he have any future? I wondered. Even though, he attended school, he was not regular at school, he said. He had to skip school occasionally to herd his father’s goats and sheep. That was in 1996. About 12 years ago. Shamadu must be in his mid twenties now. But I have been wondering; where could he be? How did he grow up? Has he been able to complete his education? Does he have a job? I had gone to the village on assignment to do a story for an environmental magazine. It was so hard getting to Shamadu’s village. There was no regular transport system. My guide/interpreter and I had to perch on one of the tipper trucks that were carting sand from the village, even though the journey was precarious, it was the only way we could get into and out of Kumbun-Kukuo, a small village. As I thought of Shamadu, I have hoped that he has not trekked down south to look for non-existent jobs. I hope that the bright eyed flutist of Kumbun-Kukuo has not ended his journey to Accra in Kumasi where he is probably earning a living by pushing trucks, carrying loads or scavenging. It is the case that, often, most promising, bright young people in the north have been drawn by the lure of the city down south. It is easier for them to be attracted because of the pushing effects of poverty, neglect and seeming hopelessness that starkly confront them in the north. The north, though, a very important part of the country has suffered so much neglect. Despite the fact that the north is so endowed naturally, its people do not seem to have fully realized the potential of the wealth that the land up north holds for them. In spite of the fact that the land in the north is mostly arid, semi-arid, rocky and dry, generations have lived on it for centuries, farmed cereals, maize and raised livestock. Of greater value to the north has been the shea tree and to some extent the cotton tree. And recently, gold has been discovered there. But sadly, any development plan that has been set in motion by governments has not impacted the north in the most effective way as it ought to have been. Another unfortunate debilitating challenge some parts of the north have been facing over time is the sporadic conflicts between groups that have impacted so negatively on the area. The northern part of the country currently plays host to the largest number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), both local and foreign in the country. These NGOs are providing services in education, nutrition, child health, potable water, skills training, agriculture extension, and so on. Notwithstanding how much NGOs are spending in the north of Ghana, including government expenditure, it is generally agreed among development watchers that a lot more needs to be done for the northern part of Ghana to fully realize the economic potential of the area to the benefit of the people and stem the tide of the young, mostly girls who troop down south to work as load carriers or ‘Kayaye’. The establishment of the Northern Development Fund announced in the 2008 budget, is therefore, heart warming. The Fund would mean so much in terms of providing the foundation for a more secure and guaranteed future for many young people, like Shamadu. As a matter of fact, Ghana is not the first country to establish a fund for its northern territory. The government of Canada has done the same. The Northern Development Fund (NDF) of Canada is targeted towards promoting economic development and planning in the North. According to the Canadian Fund’s website, eligible applicants must be either northern-based organizations, or individuals who have lived at least 10 years or half their lives in the North. The NDF has four components: 1. Commercial loans to northern businesses; 2. Loans to primary producers (fishing, trapping, wild rice harvesting); 3. Grants for marketing, research, business training and youth entrepreneurship; 4. Funding for Regional Development Corporations (RDCs). In the 2008 Budget, the government of Ghana has allocated a seed money of GH¢25 million for the NDF, and in addition promised to invest GH¢550,000 in the shea nut industry in the north. This to me is one of the most exciting parts of the 2008 budget because I have been an advocate for the shea nut industry for sometime now. This is a laudable and timely intervention from government, but more than anything else, a carefully thought out plan of execution that would be followed through meticulously, religiously and purposefully is required to fully realize the benefits of this fund. Nothing should be taken for granted in this regard. Indeed, partisanship that seems to have clouded most of the initiatives of government in the past must not be countenanced, because we can not afford to fail our northern brothers and sisters any more. No one should be appointed to work on the management team of the fund, if the person does not have what it takes to function in any capacity. There should not be any place for ‘job for the boys and girls’ on any committee or board that administers the fund. It is time for serious business and we can’t afford to make mistakes! The decision to set up the NDF is one of the best and boldest the government has taken, and it should be pursued persistently and consistently, till it succeeds. I hope all the issues that have confronted the north would be critically looked at and thoroughly too, so that no mediocre programme would be initiated that would not yield results deserving of the efforts and investments that would have been made into it. Shamadu, and his contemporaries must be given the chance to live and grow up meaningfully, so that they can contribute their part to the country’s growth and sustenance, because, it is their right. Authored by: Emmanuel K. Dogbevi Email: edogbevi@hotmail.com