The National Development Summit: Shaping development aspirations

The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), per its mandate to advise the President of the Republic of Ghana on national development planning and strategy, has unveiled plans to convene a National Development Summit. Over 200 experts in policy formulation will meet for the summit from December 20–21, 2023 to engage in comprehensive discussions on the way forward for maintaining inclusive growth and shared prosperity during the ensuing three decades.

Described as the most representative gathering on national development priorities in Ghana’s history, the summit aims to foster constructive dialogue, build societal consensus and shape policy solutions that improve the living standards of all Ghanaians.

The outcome of the summit will be incorporated in Ghana’s draft Long-Term National Development Perspective Framework to be implemented over successive political administrations.

Areas of focus

Through high-level plenaries and syndicate working group, participants will discuss six key thematic areas: economic development, social development, natural and built environment, governance, emergency preparedness and resilience, and implementation, coordination and monitoring and evaluation.

Key topics on the agenda include diversifying Ghana’s economy, increasing agricultural productivity, enhancing access to quality education and healthcare, upgrading infrastructure, strengthening climate resilience, combatting threats like illegal mining and unplanned urbanisation, improving public service delivery and accountability, and mitigating risks like flooding.

Building national consensus

The summit represents a pivotal moment to build bipartisan consensus and policy continuity toward the national vision, given Ghana’s political cycle, by directly linking the long-term plan with immediate action roadmaps, financing, monitoring mechanisms and legislation. The summit will also ensure sustained progress between political administrations.

Again, by engaging representatives from all key districts and socio-economic groups in the debates, the summit will underscore inclusivity and shared responsibility in determining Ghana’s future.

Overcoming key challenges

The summit comes as Ghana aims to accelerate its economic recovery, alleviate debt pressures and create opportunities for its burgeoning youth population despite global crises. While Ghana made significant gains before COVID-19, recent challenges faced by the economy, largely as a result of the global pandemic and geopolitical tensions around the world, have exacerbated fiscal and external imbalances.

Nevertheless, investor confidence remains strong in Ghana’s prospects. By targeting reforms that tackle instability and barriers to job creation, productivity and capability enhancement, the summit will help the country remain a leading destination for business and capital investments.

Shared prosperity and justice

Overall, the National Development Summit is envisaged to achieve the critical turning point for the inclusive growth story of Ghana to guarantee shared prosperity and intergenerational justice based on transparent and accountable governance.

The government calls for constructive participation from all stakeholder groups to harness Ghana’s unique endowments and demographic dividend to chart an ambitious development vision that uplifts living standards for all citizens.

Just as Ghana inspired Africa’s decolonisation, the summit is positioned to spark a groundbreaking made-in-Africa model for equitable and sustainable development driven by home-grown solutions.

The writer is a Principal Information Officer, NDPC.

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