Wa, Dec. 13, GNA - The Government of Ghana and the World Bank on Monday signed a 46 million dollar credit loan agreement to support the National Functional Literacy programme for the next six years.

Mr. Jean Louis Sarbibi, World Bank Vice President for Africa and Mr. David Osei-Wusu, Upper West Regional Minister signed the agreement. The World Bank official said Ghana is the only African country that receives more assistance from the Bank for its literacy programme.

The programme, he added, will focus on women, and will be concentrated in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. Mr. Osei-Wusu noted that the loan would help to reduce the high rate of illiteracy in the country.

He observed that by acquiring the basic skills in reading and writing, people in the rural areas would be abreast with government policies and contribute meaningfully to nation building. Mr. Naa Seidu Braimah, Upper West regional director of Non-Formal Education Division said a total of 104,547 people in the region have so far benefited from the programme.

The World Bank vice-president for Africa is in the Upper West Region to learn at first hand the problems of the people and help find possible solutions. He also visited the Upper West Region House of Chiefs, a literacy group at Bamahu near Wa, and the Babile National Agricultural Research Project in the Lawra District.

Mr. Sarbibi was accompanied by Mr M.A. Quist, director of the World Bank desk at the Ministry of Finance and Mr Peter Harold, Country Director, World Bank, Ghana. GNA