Decentralisation key to development — Vice-President
The Vice-President, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has stressed government’s commitment to placing decentralisation at the heart of national development and accountable governance.
She underscored the urgent need to complete administrative and functional devolution in critical sectors such as health, education and roads.
She noted that the credibility of the country’s decentralisation programme depends on progress in these areas.
The Vice-President said this when she chaired the maiden meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation held in Accra on Wednesday.
The meeting brought together Ministers of State, Institutional Heads and key stakeholders mandated under the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) to steer the country’s decentralisation reforms.
Deliberations
The meeting deliberated on three key objectives: Reactivation and operationalisation of the IMCC as the highest national platform for inter-ministerial coordination of decentralisation, the consideration and endorsement of the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategy (2026–2030), which outlines reforms across thematic areas: Political, Administrative, Fiscal Planning; Local Economic Development; and Popular Participation and Accountability and the policy direction on critical coordination matters, including predictable financing for the IMCC Secretariat, sectoral alignment, and legislative reforms.
There were presentations on fiscal decentralisation, local economic development, and ongoing legislative reforms, as well as discussions on ministerial realignment for effective local governance.
Reforms
The Vice-President called on all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, especially the Ministry of Finance, to champion the implementation of decentralisation reforms within their mandates.
She added that a coherent and purposeful government stance was vital to attract Development Partner support and to ensure that funds follow functions.
Attendees
Members of the IMCC present at the meeting were the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim; the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu; Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh; Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku; the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey.
The rest are the Head of the Local Government Service, Prof. Lord Mensah; the Head of the Civil Service, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darkoh; and the Chairperson of the National Development Planning Commission, Dr Nii Moi Thompson.
Present as well were the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Vice-President, Alex Segbefia; the Oversight Consultant on the Policy, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi; and the Lead Consultant, Dr Esther Ofei Aboagye.
