Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Thursday reiterated government's commitment to solving critical developmental challenges facing the northern part of the country to promote inclusive development.

He said adequate investment in critical sectors including; education, health and agriculture was necessary to change the story of the northern part of the country.

Dr Bawumia said this during the opening of the maiden Northern Ghana Development Conference in Tamale on Thursday.

The two-day conference, being attended by development partners, non-governmental organisations, public institutions amongst other stakeholders, is aimed at coming out with ideas on critical development issues affecting the northern part of the country.

It was organised by the Northern Regional Coordinating Council and Northern Development Authority in partnership with STAR Ghana Foundation among other development partners.

Dr Bawumia said modernising agriculture was one of the surest ways to addressing poverty and accelerating development in the northern part of the country hence the implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme. He said other initiatives such as one village one dam and one district one factory were to help promote inclusive development, which formed the core of the government's development agenda. Dr Bawumia, therefore, urged participants to use the conference to examine the crucial development challenges facing the northern part of the country and provide the best way forward to address them.

He also emphasised the need for all to embrace peace as the government worked to ensure equitable development across the country.

Mr Philip Smith, Country Director of DFID and Chair of Heads of Cooperation, said even though the government's Ghana beyond aid sent a signal of moving away from aid to trade, development partners would continue to support the country to improve on her various sectors to tackle inequality.

Mr Alhassan Mohammed Awal, Executive Director of NORSAAC, who read a speech on behalf of STAR Ghana Foundation, expressed the need for the country to leverage innovations and better utilise resources to promote sustainable development.