Presidential aspirant, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has outlined an ambitious plan to transform Ghana through genuine decentralisation by relocating selected ministries and their agencies from Accra to the regions.
Speaking during his campaign tour in Salaga North, he explained that Ghana could not achieve balanced development when government institutions, economic activity, and opportunities remained concentrated in the capital city alone.
His policy vision, he stressed, was based on the belief that national progress must reflect regional growth, not just the expansion of Accra.
“For decades, successive governments have spoken about decentralisation without taking the bold steps necessary to implement it. The result has been unequal development, rural-urban migration, congestion in Accra, and the slow death of many towns that once had economic promise,” he stated.
“My proposal seeks to shift the economic and administrative structure of the country by empowering regions to manage major sectors of the national economy. In his view, decentralisation should not be a political slogan but a deliberate shift of government authority, employment opportunities, and investment infrastructure to all regions,” he explained.
Under his plan, he said ministries would be relocated based on the natural economic strengths of the regions.
Stating that, “For example, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would be moved to the northern part of the country, where fertile land, livestock production, and irrigation potential can be harnessed to establish Ghana as a major food exporter within West Africa. With the ministry and its agencies physically located there, the north would receive direct investment in agricultural processing, storage, research, and mechanisation services, creating long-term employment and reducing poverty.”
Similarly, he indicated, the Ministry of Energy would be headquartered in the Western Region, where most of Ghana’s oil and gas resources are located, saying that, “This would ensure proper supervision of the extractive sector, promote local content participation, and accelerate the development of energy-related industries such as petrochemical plants and gas processing parks.”
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, he argued, could be relocated to the Volta Region to boost domestic and international tourism traffic along the eastern corridor.
“With its mountains, waterfalls, beaches, rich cultural heritage and proximity to Togo, the region would become a major tourism and creative arts hub. The move would stimulate hotels, transportation services, festivals, film production, and heritage tourism businesses across the region,” he said.
“This decentralisation agenda will not only reshape governance but also expand inter-regional trade. When ministries and industries are distributed across regions, new transport networks will naturally emerge, boosting commerce among cities and towns,” Mr Agyapong elaborated.
Roads and rail lines, he emphasised, would connect regions based on trade needs, rather than forcing all economic activity to pass through Accra.
“Markets will expand, warehouses and distribution centres will grow in regional hubs, and local farmers, artisans, and manufacturers will gain access to wider markets,” he added.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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