Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called for Ghana’s decentralisation programme to focus on delivering tangible outcomes that improve citizens’ lives and promote development at the local level. She said the success of decentralisation should not be measured solely by the policies, institutions and structures established, but by how effectively these translate into improved public services, stronger local economies and enhanced welfare for citizens.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang made the remarks when she chaired a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation at Peduase Lodge. She stressed the importance of ensuring that citizens are fully involved in the decentralisation process, noting that increased public education and engagement were necessary to help people understand the programme, its objectives and its impact on their communities.
The Executive Secretary of the IMCC, Dr. Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, said the Committee was assessing progress made in Ghana’s decentralisation programme and examining measures to improve its implementation. He also underscored the importance of the Local Government Act as the legal framework underpinning local governance and decentralisation, while calling for stronger coordination among the various institutions responsible for implementing the programme.
Dr. Hoedoafia also pointed to ongoing work to improve coordination across sectors that have implications for local development, including roads, housing and other areas of public service delivery. The meeting also reviewed some of the progress recorded under the decentralisation programme and considered areas where further action was required to improve implementation.
Background
The meeting follows Cabinet’s May 2026 approval of the new National Decentralisation Policy and Strategic Framework (NDPS), which establishes a renewed national framework to guide the implementation of decentralisation. The policy is designed to shape the government’s approach and provide a unified direction for institutions engaged in local governance.
The Inter‑Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation functions as the central mechanism for aligning the government’s decentralisation agenda across ministries, departments, and agencies. It brings together key institutions to assess progress, resolve implementation challenges, and ensure that the various components of the programme are effectively coordinated.
