I served as the Guest of Honour at the 3rd edition of the Ghana Civil Society Forum, which was held under the theme “Reimagining Development Financing and Civic Action: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Way Forward.” The gathering was an opportunity to reflect on how we can build a more resilient and just development model for our country.
In my address, I acknowledged the real challenges posed by declining support from traditional funders, limited fiscal space, and increasing constraints on civic engagement. We must now reimagine our approach by moving from dependency to ownership.
I shared some of the efforts we are undertaking as a government, including reforms to broaden our tax base and improve public financial management, and the introduction of policy changes through the 2025 budget. We are also exploring innovative financing models.
However, I stressed that development is not only about money, but also about agency. Civic actors must remain at the heart of our national progress. Their role in monitoring, advocacy, and delivering community-based solutions is indispensable. I highlighted the immense potential in our youthful population as well as the need to harness the promise of digital transformation and the AfCFTA.
I concluded by encouraging all stakeholders to embrace a new social contract based on shared accountability, co-investment, and decentralized power.
This forum was a reminder that inclusive development is possible when government, civil society, and communities work together to create lasting, citizen-focused change.