Africa-Press – Ghana. The Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation has concluded the National-Level Stakeholder Consultations on the formulation of the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategy (NDPS 2026-2030).
The stakeholder consultations brought together representatives from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), Regional Coordinating Councils (RCC), Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and the National House of Chiefs.
Since 2010, Ghana’s decentralisation reforms have been guided by successive policies, with the most recent framework expiring in December 2024.
The new NDPS aligns with Articles 35(6d) and 240 of the 1992 Constitution and supports the government’s vision under the Reset Agenda.
Dr. Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, the Executive Secretary of the IMCC Secretariat, explained that a root-and-branch review of the previous decentralisation policy had revealed several gaps and weaknesses in the sector.
He said in his regard a team of experts led by Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye, with Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi serving as oversight Consultant, and supported by a reference group of Experts, was tasked with leading formulation of a new policy.
The NDPS 2026-2030 is anchored on the 2024 manifesto of the government and aligns with the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (MTNDPF) for 2026–2030, enabling both policies to be assessed holistically when they conclude simultaneously at the end of their period.
Dr. Hoedoafia said the upcoming NDPS (2026–2030) would focus on six key thematic pillars, including Political Decentralisation, Administrative Decentralisation and Decentralised Planning, Fiscal Decentralisation and local finance.
The rest are Local Economic Development, and Popular Participation and Accountability.
“For the first time, the thematic pillars will be shaped by six cross-cutting themes in response to the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the evolving priorities of Ghana’s governance landscape,’ he added.
These cross-cutting issues are Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion, Technology and Innovation, Ethics, Values, and Change Management, the 24-Hour Economy, and Safety and Security.
To facilitate meaningful and focused discussions, stakeholder institutions were grouped into clusters based on these thematic pillars.
The Executive Secretary also emphasised that decentralisation was not only about transferring power to the local Level, but also about restructuring central-level institutions.
“Decentralisation is not only about the people down there. It is also about institutional realignment and restructuring, where (MDAs) at the centre focus on policy formulation, monitoring, and evaluation, while implementation takes place at the local level to improve service delivery,” he said.
The national-level consultations follow a series of sub-national engagements held in May and June in Cape Coast, Ho, Tamale, and Kumasi.
These zonal consultations targeted Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Civil Society Organisations, Religious Leaders, and Traditional Authorities, serving as a platform to gather the perspectives and experiences of local governance actors.
Inputs gathered from both the sub-national and national level consultations will directly inform the drafting of the national decentralisation policy that is inclusive, evidence-based, and responsive to Ghana’s evolving governance landscape and achieved on the Reset Agenda.
The IMCC Secretariat is expected to present the draft policy to the Technical Committee, then to the IMCC before it goes to Cabinet for consideration and approval.
The policy is anticipated to be finalised by August 2025.
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