Mahama Ayariga has highlighted local participation, trust and community ownership as key objectives of Ghana’s decentralisation agenda.
Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, 2026, he said Ghana’s approach to local governance must ensure that people have a meaningful stake in decisions affecting their communities.
Mahama Ayariga said the country’s decentralisation system should not only be about transferring administrative responsibilities but also about making governance more accessible and participatory at the local level.
“What we have now is a situation where, one, we want to maintain a unitary state. We want to maintain a unitary state. At the same time, we want to ensure that governance is owned at the local level.”
He said giving communities a greater role in governance could help build confidence in local institutions while encouraging citizens to contribute to the development of their own areas.
“There’s local participation, there’s trust, and because of that, the locals are contributing towards their own governance and development. So, these are the core objectives.”
According to him, the success of decentralisation should therefore be measured by how effectively it brings governance closer to the people and encourages them to take part in shaping development within their communities.
