Jeffery Sachs, a Development Economist, is in Ghana to study what form of assistance he could offer the country to help bring accelerated development to the three Northern Regions.

The world renowned economist, with whom President Atta Mills held discussions in New York last December, after touring some project sites under the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), on Monday came to the Osu Castle for another meeting with the president.

As former advisor to both Mr Kofi Annan and the current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Professor Sachs said it was a pride for him to be working with Ghanaians.

Professor Sachs, who is widely considered to be the leading economic advisor in his generation and a Director of the Earth Institute in the US, lauded the Government for the commendable economic progress achieved in recent years which has resulted in the country being seen as one of the fastest growing economies of the world.

Professor Sachs expressed admiration for the enthusiasm of Ghanaians as he toured the project sites saying the time has come for Ghana to rise to the occasion for a rapid development, expressing the conviction that the problems should be solved in the current decade.

He commended the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for a grant of $18 million to assist in the development of poor communities and poverty reduction programmes.

President Mills described Professor Sachs as friend of Ghana and Africa who was ready to put his knowledge to the advantage of Ghanaians.

He expressed Ghana's appreciation to Professor Sachs, and assured him of strengthening the partnership with him.

Alhaji Gilbert Iddi, Chief Executive Officer of the SADA, said the success of the SADA project would be necessary for the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals.