Vice President calls for stronger coordination to advance decentralisation

Ghana’s new decentralisation framework has cleared Cabinet, but Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang says the real test starts with implementation.

Speaking after chairing a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation, she called for stronger cooperation among government institutions. The National Decentralisation Policy and Strategic Framework covers the period from 2026 to 2030.

Opoku-Agyemang said decentralisation should bring governance and public services closer to citizens and make development more responsive to local needs. That goal, she said, cannot be achieved if institutions work separately.

“Education, health, sanitation, infrastructure, finance and local government are interconnected, and our institutions must coordinate their efforts rather than operate in silos,” she said.

The Vice President also stressed the need for citizens to understand the reforms, the responsibilities of public institutions and the role they can play in making decentralisation effective. She called for greater accountability and sufficient resources to support the policy.

The coordinating committee was established to promote dialogue, coordination and collective action across government. Opoku-Agyemang said its immediate task was to turn the framework into practical action, with the focus now on tangible benefits and measurable improvements in public service delivery across Ghana.

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Education, health, sanitation, infrastructure, finance and local government are interconnected, and our institutions must coordinate their efforts rather than operate in silos.