The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), Hon, Armed Ibrahim, has jointly charged the governing boards of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) and the Council of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) to develop policies and programmes aimed at transforming the two institutions in alignment with the ongoing reset agenda.
Speaking at the inauguration of the boards on Friday July 11, 2025, Hon. Ahmed indicated that their appointment is a call to duty and service and therefore charged them to deliver and ensure that the trust reposed in them by the President to steer the affairs of these two institutions will benefit the ordinary Ghanaians.
“As I congratulate the two Chairmen, Dr. William Kofi Ahadzie of ILGS, Mr. Jonathan Azaaso of LUSPA and all the governing members of these two great important institutions within the local governance Sector, i want you to go out there and change the face of these institutions and make them enviable,” he stated.
He said the ILGS is a strategic research, training and academic institution established to organise professional training programmes for staff and political functionaries of Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Th Minister said since its inception in 1999, the Institute has organized series of orientations and training programmes for officials working in the RCCs and MMDAs, as well as higher degree programmes for people interested in deepening their knowledge and understanding of sub-national governance and development.
He added that the ILGS has also provided research evidence to inform national policies and programmes on local governance and development in the country.
Expanding the ‘Resetting Ghana Agenda’, Hon, Ahmed said the government is keen on building the capacity of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDAs) and Assembly Member. This, he said, the bords efficiency will help deepen the decentralisation, local governance and sub-national development and build the capacity of many people that believe in subsidiarity principles.
“In this regard, efforts are being made to upgrade the Institute of Local Government Studies to a Specialised University that would be dedicated to providing professional and higher education that are critical for effective local governance without compromising on its core mandate of training staff and political functionaries in the Regional Coordinating Council and MMDAs.”
On LUSPA, mandated to provide leadership and technical direction in the regulation, management, and promotion of sustainable land use and human settlements in Ghana, the minister tasked them to devise strategies and programmes to ensure full implementation of provisions in Act 925 especially with respect to development and building permits in the MMDAs.
He said called on them to pay much attention on urban management and development such as housing, transportation, flooding, urban mobility, and haphazard developments in cities and towns and charged them to enforce strong adherence to provisions in the Act by some MMDAs.
“Pursuant to Sections 37, 38 and 39 of Land use and Spatial Planning Act, I wish to assure you that the Ministry will cooperate with the board and by extension LUSPA to ensure the functionality of the District Spatial Planning Committees and Technical Sub-Committee are active. This is to ensure that physical development in the MMDAs are carried out in accordance with the Act. These include preparation of Spatial Development Frameworks, Structure and Local Plans and approved all applications for permit to address the challenges of land use and spatial planning in Ghana.”
He said, as part of efforts to ensure full compliance, in line with Section 47 of the Act 925, I will further issue directives to all MMDAs to set up a permanent physical Public Data Room at an openly accessible place and open to the public during normal working hours to promote orderly development in the MMDAs.
“I am convinced that, in the ‘Resetting Ghana Agenda,’ we cannot continue doing the same things and expect good results. The status quo must change, and I hope to count on you as a Governing Board to change the narrative on this subject matter.”
The minister commended the previous board and council of both institutions under the leadership Emeritus Prof. Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa and the members for the good work done.
“It is envisaged that you, the newly appointed chairperson and members of this board and council, will continue from where your predecessors left off and project these two institutions to the next level of development.
The Board chairman of ILGS, Dr. William Kofi Ahadzie appealed to the minister to help push the agenda in Parliament to ensure the institute attain the statuesque of a full fresh university status and ensure the decentraliseation is wildly advance at the highest academic pedestal.
On his part, the chairman of LUSPA, Mr. Jonathan Azaaso said LUSPA’s role is not just about lands but also about people, livelihoods and collective future adding that how land is managed and used is central to reducing emissions, building climate resilience and achieving sustainable urbanisation.