On 30 September 2026, the newly appointed Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Mahama Ayariga (MP), convened a high-level breakfast meeting in Accra with key development partners, and heads of departments and agencies. Following his official swearing-in on 29 August 2026, the meeting served as an introductory engagement aimed at fostering dialogue, outlining ministerial priorities and strengthening strategic partnerships for local government development in Ghana.  

Attending the meeting were bilateral and multilateral development partners, including the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Union, the African Development Bank, GIZ, SECO, AFD, UNFPA, the British High Commission, the Canadian High Commission, the Embassies of Japan and Norway, and CLGF. National institutions attended included the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS), the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), and the Local Government Common Fund Secretariat.

Ministerial priorities and vision

Hon. Mahama Ayariga  highlighted that local government represents the primary point of contact between citizens and the state, and citizens' interactions at the local level directly define their perception of the government as a whole. His task is to ensure that citizens experience positive, responsive local governance.

The Minister outlined several key priorities and strategic actions:  

• Deepening decentralisation and citizen participation: Through live broadcasting of local assembly sittings via local radio stations and media platforms, the citizens will have the opportunity to observe firsthand the discussions of the assemblies and make necessary comments and suggestions afterwards – mirroring practices at the central government level.
• Advancing accountability, service delivery, own resource mobilisation, local economic development (LED), urbanisation, sanitation, behavioural change and capacity building: Reflecting on urban development in global cities such as Tokyo and London, the Minister asserted that comparable systems – such as time-conscious, reliable public transport in Japan, should also be applicable for cities like Accra.
• Results-driven implementation: Emphasising a practical, outcome-oriented approach, the Minister urged that initiatives must be implemented within the shortest possible timeframes to deliver tangible benefits to communities.  
• Enhancing development partnerships: The Minister emphasised the importance of partnership with development partners.  While recognising the importance of financial resources, he stressed that his primary interest lies in technical assistance, international knowledge sharing and peer learning. He is keen to see what works effectively in other contexts and how models can be replicated within Ghana's local governance framework.  

CLGF’s contributions and strategic alignment

Development partners were also invited to make comments and share their views on the vision and priority areas of the Minister. Joyce Ekuful, CLGF West and Central Africa Regional Programme Manager, reaffirmed CLGF’s ongoing commitment to supporting decentralisation and empowering local government across the Commonwealth and within Ghana.

• CLGF has maintained long-standing partnerships with the Ministry, NALAG and ILGS across its four core pillars: policy advocacy, research and knowledge exchange, regional networking and in-country technical programmes. Several key programmes focused particularly on LED, women and youth inclusion in local governance and administrative data management
• CLGF supported the recent Ghana Urban Forum and the launch of the Ghana Urban Policy organised by the Ministry, and is currently implementing a project with NALAG on LED, climate change and women and youth inclusion.

Ms Ekuful also highlighted that CLGF’s ongoing global and regional initiatives align closely with the Minister’s focus on knowledge exchange and sustainable urbanisation:  

• Peer learning and capacity building: Through conferences and capacity building workshops at the national, regional and global levels. CLGF is currently preparing for the next Commonwealth Local Government Conference scheduled for 2027, and looks forward to the full participation of the Minister and his team.
• Operationalising the Commonwealth Declaration on Sustainable Urbanisation. The Declaration was adopted at the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Ahead of CHOGM 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda, CLGF is looking forward to building on its partnership with the Ministry to implement the Declaration.

Participants welcomed the Minister’s proactive engagement and open dialogue, and CLGF is looking forward to working with the Ministry to support his vision.