The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission, (NDPC) Dr Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, has stated that Ghana has made significant progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking at a symposium on the state of SDG implementation at Winneba in the Central Region last Wednesday, Dr Mensah-Abrampa noted that Ghana has taken several steps to mainstream the SDGs into its national development frameworks, engage stakeholders and monitor progress through regular reporting.
This includes the development of Ghana’s SDG Budget Baseline Report (2018), Voluntary National Review Reports (2019 and 2022) and a Technical Report on SDG Transformation and Commitments (2023).
“Ghana’s participation in the UN High-Level Political Forum has also helped to promote partnerships and consolidate efforts for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the sub-national level”, he said.
Dr. Mensah-Abrampa mentioned progress in various sectors, including education, which has maintained gender equality and strong completion rates at the kindergarten, primary, and junior high levels.
He also cited that access to essential amenities such as water, sanitation and electricity has improved, adding that efforts to combat maternal mortality and childhood obesity, improve women’s participation in parliament and local government and financial inclusion are all progressing.
However, the Director-General acknowledged that the country faces significant challenges, including a financing gap of an estimated $43 billion annually, data gap and inadequate capacity for implementing the 2030 Agenda, particularly at the sub-national level. The COVID-19 pandemic has also disrupted the implementation process with the potential to increase poverty.
In that regard, he said the NDPC was working to deepen the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the sub-national level, with the development of a Voluntary Local Review Guideline and capacity-building training for selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
“The first VLR was prepared by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in 2020 and 10 more MMDAs are set to follow suit this year,” he added.
Additionally, efforts are being made to address the data gap through the enhancement of administrative data collection and the development of a multidimensional poverty index report, which was recently disseminated, he noted.
“There are also initiatives to strengthen and broaden partnerships to improve investment in the 2030 Agenda, including the involvement of the private sector and the development of financing tools like the Sustainable Infrastructure Financing Tool (SIFT)”, he added.
In spite of the challenges, Dr Mensah-Abrampa said the NDPC remains optimistic about Ghana’s ability to meet the SDGs, stating that the country’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda, as well as efforts to address identified priorities and mobilize resources, will be critical in the coming years.
Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD
