Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating the implementation of the United Nations’ New Urban Agenda, with Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, outlining the country’s key priorities for achieving sustainable urban development.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Political Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York on behalf of the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, the Deputy Minister said Ghana remains focused on building inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities despite the growing challenges of rapid urbanisation.
She revealed that the government has identified four major priority areas to drive the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. These include expanding affordable and inclusive housing through the implementation of the 2024 Housing Profile recommendations and the National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy, as well as strengthening integrated urban development and spatial planning under the National Urban Policy (2026–2035).
According to her, Ghana is also investing in urban infrastructure and local economic development through programmes such as the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme, the Greater Accra Resilience and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, the Smart SDGs Programme and the Sustainable Cities Programme.
Mrs. Odoley Sowah added that government is prioritising climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable cities while improving urban governance, institutional capacity, coordination and data management through the planned operationalisation of a Ghana Urban Observatory.
She described the High-Level Meeting as a significant opportunity to assess global progress on the New Urban Agenda, identify existing challenges and renew international commitment as the world reaches the midpoint of its implementation.
The Deputy Minister highlighted Ghana’s achievements over the past decade, attributing the progress to strong national leadership, decentralised governance and evidence-based planning led by the National Development Planning Commission and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
She noted that digital transformation, skills development and increased private sector participation have strengthened urban governance, improved institutional performance and enhanced economic productivity across the country.
However, she acknowledged that the pace of development has not matched Ghana’s rapid urban growth. She disclosed that the country currently faces a housing deficit of more than 1.8 million units, while nearly 37 per cent of the urban population lives in informal settlements.
Looking ahead, Mrs. Odoley Sowah said Ghana will intensify efforts to expand affordable housing, upgrade slum communities, strengthen the fiscal capacity of local governments, increase sustainable urban financing, integrate climate resilience into urban planning and improve digital governance and data systems.
She also stressed that these objectives would be achieved through stronger collaboration with development partners, the private sector and local communities. She also called for greater international support, including increased and predictable financing for housing and urban development, improved access to climate finance for cities and enhanced technical and multilateral cooperation.
The New Urban Agenda was adopted during the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) held in Quito, Ecuador, on October 20, 2016, and was later endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in December the same year. The framework provides a global roadmap for making cities more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Ghana’s delegation to the High-Level Political Forum included members of Parliament’s Select Committees on Water Resources, Works and Housing, as well as officials from the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Works and Housing.
The success of the programme was made possible through the tireless efforts of several technical officers. In particular, Mr. Samuel Seth Passah, Director of Local Governance and Decentralization, and Mr. Samu Iddris, Director for Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, deserve special recognition for their invaluable support and leadership throughout the programme.
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