Nadowli-Kaleo Municipal District

Hon. Mary Haruna, District Chief Executive -Nadowli-Kaleo Municipal  District

Profile of DCE

Hon. Mary Haruna is the current District Chief Executive for Nadowli-Kaleo, confirmed in June 2025 after a second round of voting, securing 88.5% of Assembly Member support.

About Nadowli-Kaleo Municipal  District

Nadowli-Kaleo District is centrally located in Ghana’s Upper West Region. It was officially established in June 2012 through Legislative Instrument 2101, following the division of the former Nadowli District.

The district spans approximately 2,742.5 square kilometers and shares boundaries with Wa Municipal to the south, Burkina Faso to the west, Jirapa Municipal to the north, and Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District to the east.

The district capital, Nadowli, lies about 43 kilometers from Wa, the regional capital. With a population of 77,057 recorded in the 2021 census, the district is predominantly rural, with agriculture employing over 85% of the labor force. Key crops include millet, maize, groundnuts, cowpea, and yam, while shea and dawadawa trees support local agro-processing. The district also hosts cultural festivals such as Wilaa (Takpo), Kalibi (Sankana), and Zenbenti (Kaleo), which serve as platforms for community dialogue and heritage preservation.

She previously served as District Director of Education and is known for her grassroots engagement and strategic planning. Her leadership emphasizes unity, inclusive development, and stakeholder collaboration. In her confirmation address, she pledged to unite the district and prioritize education, agriculture, and youth empowerment. Hon. Haruna has also championed climate resilience and food security initiatives, particularly in response to recent droughts affecting farming communities.

The district has rolled out several impactful development projects. One major intervention is the distribution of fertilisers and high-yield maize seeds to farmer cooperatives under the Feed Ghana Programme. This initiative aims to restore agricultural productivity and mitigate food insecurity following prolonged dry spells.

Another key project is the expansion of water infrastructure, including the drilling of 155 boreholes and the upgrade of the Lawra Township water system, which also benefits parts of Nadowli-Kaleo. In education, the Assembly has constructed classroom blocks at Brifo-Tanzie Primary and provided furniture to basic schools, alongside sponsoring student nurses and midwives to strengthen healthcare delivery. The district has also invested in social protection, supporting 150 persons with disabilities through the Disability Common Fund and implementing LEAP payments to over 4,000 households across 55 communities.