The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has begun a three-day validation meeting on the draft 2025 National Annual Progress Report (APR), bringing together key stakeholders to assess Ghana’s development performance under the 2022–2025 Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework.
The meeting, which opened on Monday, 18 May 2026, convenes representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), development partners, and students.
Their mandate is to review data, validate indicators, and ensure the report accurately reflects progress made across the country.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Richard Tweneboah-Kodua stressed the role of collaboration and evidence-based reporting in shaping effective national development planning.
He described the APR as a cornerstone of accountability since its introduction under the Fourth Republican Constitution.
“The Annual Progress Report serves as an important instrument for measuring Ghana’s progress in implementing nationally agreed development plans,” he said.
“It also enables us to track our commitments under regional, continental, and global development frameworks and protocols.”
Mr. Tweneboah-Kodua noted that the work of reporting institutions extends beyond statistics, directly influencing public services and living standards.
“The information we generate contributes to improved healthcare delivery, better livelihoods, stronger businesses, enhanced environmental management, and more efficient public services,” he said.
He commended MDAs, RCCs, and MMDAs for their sustained participation in the APR process and said the 2025 reporting cycle offers a critical opportunity to refine systems ahead of the 2026–2029 Medium-Term Development Framework.
“This final reporting cycle under the current framework should help us refine our indicators, strengthen data quality, improve timeliness, and enhance overall reporting systems going forward,” he added.
Delivering the keynote address, NDPC Chairman Dr. Nii Moi Thompson urged participants to focus on results rather than procedural compliance. He said Ghana’s consistent production of development plans and progress reports had not always translated into the intended transformation.
“It is not enough to go through the motions or fulfil procedural requirements. We must be equally concerned about the actual results and impact of our efforts,” Dr. Thompson stated.
He pointed to persistent implementation gaps and noted that major long-term strategies, including the 40-Year Development Plan, Ghana Beyond Aid, Ghana at 100, and Vision 2057, remained only partially realized. “The challenge is not the absence of plans. The challenge is implementation,” he emphasized.
Dr. Thompson also highlighted the importance of institutional discipline, accountability, and productivity in driving sustainable development.
He identified electricity, water, transport and logistics, and digital infrastructure as essential pillars for Ghana’s industrialization and global competitiveness.
Mr. Bright Attiase, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, drew attention to the growing parliamentary scrutiny of the APR process. He cautioned that delays in reporting were becoming untenable, revealing that only 28 institutions had submitted their reports out of the expected number, with 10 still outstanding.
He said some institutions had already been summoned before Parliament’s Select Committee on Economy and Development to account for their 2024 plans and programmes.
“The Commission will strengthen quarterly engagements with planning and monitoring officers to improve coordination, accountability, and tracking of implementation,” he said, adding that stronger enforcement measures would be considered for persistent defaulters.
Chief Analyst Isaac Ewoe guided participants through the APR preparation process and stressed the need to connect data directly to policy outcomes. He said the reports must go beyond figures to explain what the findings mean for national development goals.
“These reports must reflect the true realities and lived experiences of Ghanaians. There should be no disconnect between what is documented and what citizens experience on the ground,” he said.
Following the plenary sessions, participants broke into four syndicate groups to review sector-specific findings, assess data quality, validate indicators, and draft recommendations for the finalization of the 2025 National Annual Progress Report.
