The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has outlined a robust framework for the implementation, monitoring and accountability of Ghana’s Revised National Urban Policy (2026–2035), stressing that transforming the country’s cities and towns will require coordinated action at all levels of government and strict enforcement of planning laws.
Director-General of NDPC, Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, made the disclosure during a live discussion on GTV’s Public Concern The Urban Agenda programme on Tuesday, 28 July 2026.
The programme, held under the theme “Ghana’s Revised National Urban Policy: Can It Transform the Country’s Cities and Communities?”, followed the recent launch of both the Revised National Urban Policy and the National Slum Upgrading Strategy.
Dr. Amoah said the revised policy is designed to make Ghana’s urban centers more liveable, resilient and productive over the next decade through sustainable development and improved quality of life for citizens.
She noted that the review was informed by lessons from the 2012 National Urban Policy, which achieved about 50 per cent of its targets. Key gaps identified then including weak institutional coordination, poor dissemination, and inadequate monitoring have been directly addressed in the new framework.
“The revised policy clearly defines the roles of national and sub-national institutions within our decentralised planning system,” Dr. Amoah explained.
“Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Regional Coordinating Councils and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are all expected to work collaboratively to deliver on its objectives.”
To aid tracking, the policy spells out specific activities and assigns responsibility to institutions, making it easier to monitor progress and hold actors accountable.
Assuring the public of government’s readiness, Dr. Amoah revealed that almost all public sector institutions have completed and submitted their Medium-Term Development Plans for the 2026–2029 planning period.
The plans, she said, were certified by NDPC after assessment for consistency with national development planning guidelines, the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework, sector legislation, and other relevant policies.
On oversight, the Director-General reaffirmed NDPC’s statutory mandate to coordinate the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national development policies.
“Public institutions are required by law to submit quarterly and annual progress reports to the Commission,” she said. “These are consolidated into the National Annual Progress Report which is submitted to both Parliament and the President.”
She added that Parliament’s growing scrutiny of sector performance, including direct engagements with ministries on their contributions to the report, is expected to further strengthen accountability and improve delivery across government.
Despite the strong institutional arrangements, Dr. Amoah identified weak enforcement of planning regulations as the biggest threat to sustainable urban development.
She noted that while MMDAs are the designated planning authorities with legally enforceable by-laws, enforcement is often undermined by personal interventions on behalf of offenders.
“This weakens deterrence, encourages repeated violations, and compromises orderly urban development,” she said. “We need consistent enforcement of planning laws to protect public spaces, promote orderly physical development, and improve the liveability of our cities and towns.”
Dr. Amoah concluded that the success of the Revised National Urban Policy will hinge not only on sound planning and clear institutional roles, but also on sustained collaboration, effective research, monitoring and evaluation, consistent accountability, and stricter enforcement.
“The policy gives us a roadmap to 2035,” she said. “But the real transformation will come from how well we implement, monitor and enforce it together.”
The Revised National Urban Policy and the National Slum Upgrading Strategy now serve as Ghana’s strategic framework for managing rapid urbanisation between 2026 and 2035, with a focus on promoting inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban development nationwide.
