Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs
Also known as: MLGCRA
Ministry responsible for local government administration, chieftaincy affairs and religious site regulation, including waste management and assembly capacity-building programmes.
… had made progress in urban development over the past decade through strong national leadership, decentralised governance and evidence-based planning led by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs …
… The meeting was organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA) in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). …
… It was organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) and the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS). …
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has begun efforts to build a national database of shrines, religious sites and their operators as part of measures to improve regulation, planning and recognition of traditional and faith-based institutions. …
… Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central, has also been nominated asMinister of State at the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs. …
… Meanwhile, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has been reassigned to head the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, subject to parliamentary approval. …
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has announced plans to formalise the operations of tricycle waste collectors and integrate them into Ghana’s long-term sanitation framework. …
Ghana has identified four priority areas to accelerate implementation of the UN New Urban Agenda: affordable and inclusive housing, integrated urban development and spatial planning, urban infrastructure and local economic development, and climate-resilient cities with stronger urban governance. Deputy Minister Rita Naa Odoley Sowah disclosed this at the UN General Assembly High-Level Political Forum in New York.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection called for stronger support systems to help teenage mothers return to school after childbirth, noting that while a "Back to School" policy exists, many do not return due to inadequate support. The ministry aims to achieve zero per cent child marriage by 2030 in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Members of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly underwent a two-day "Next Generation Leadership Training" to strengthen accountable, responsive and effective local governance. The programme, organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, NALAG and ILGS, covered modules on by-law drafting, leadership, financial management, decentralisation laws and stakeholder engagement.
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is creating a national database of shrines, religious sites and their operators to improve regulation, planning and recognition of traditional and faith-based institutions. The initiative aims to document Ghana's spiritual heritage, help government understand the scope of practice nationwide, and identify sites with historical significance for potential tourism development.
President Mahama has reshuffled his cabinet, appointing Bawku MP Mahama Ayariga to Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and Korley Klottey lawmaker Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings to Environment, Science and Technology. Two other ministers were reassigned: Kenneth Gilbert Adjei moved from Works and Housing to Defence, and Ibrahim Ahmed moved to Works and Housing from Local Government.
Experts at a high-level dialogue on green urban development called for Ghana to move beyond climate and energy policies to bankable projects, citing inadequate planning, fragmented coordination, and limited financing as barriers to implementation. They emphasized that waste segregation at source and circular economy approaches are essential to sustainable urban development.
The Ministry of Local Government announced plans to formalise tricycle waste collectors and integrate them into Ghana's sanitation framework. Five of six waste transfer stations in Greater Accra are now operational, helping address solid waste accumulation following recent sanitation exercises, though the Malam station remains inactive pending road access.
Following President Mahama's directive after a June 29 incident, the government is ramping up waste evacuation in Accra. Five of six Zoomlion Waste Transfer Stations are now fully operational, 24-hour waste evacuation will be introduced in Jamestown, and over 4,000 tricycle waste collectors are being formally integrated into the national waste management framework.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Oforikrom has appealed to the Government, development partners, and NGOs to increase funding for environmental hygiene and household toilet facilities to eliminate open defecation in underserved communities. Several communities in the municipality lack adequate access to household toilets despite growing public demand, and while residents have expressed interest in construction, the Assembly lacks sufficient financial capacity to support all applicants.
The Teshie Traditional Council has officially launched the 2026 Homowo Festival with a renewed commitment to peace, security and cultural preservation, with traditional authorities, the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces pledging to work together for a safe and successful celebration. The launch comes after violence marred the 2025 festival.
The Ghana Armed Forces reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peace, national unity and social cohesion at the media launch of the 2026 Teshie Homowo Festival, with a military representative commending government and traditional authorities for preserving Ghana's cultural heritage.
The Energy Commission has completed a nationwide capacity-building programme for local government officers aimed at integrating energy efficiency requirements into Ghana's building permit and development control processes. The programme, supported by UNEP and the Ministry of Local Government, equipped participants from Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to serve as Energy Efficiency Champions within their respective assemblies.
The Energy Commission has concluded a nationwide training programme for local government officers aimed at integrating energy efficiency requirements into Ghana's building permit and development control processes. The training, supported by UNEP and the Ministry of Local Government, equipped participants to serve as Energy Efficiency Champions within their respective assemblies.
The Center for Local Governance Advocacy has called on all 261 MMDAs to review their 2025 Public Financial Management Compliance League Table results and implement time-bound improvement plans. The 2025 assessment recorded a national compliance score of 56.20%, exceeding the 50% benchmark, with coverage improving to 100% across all 16 regions.
Stakeholders at a high-level dialogue in Accra warned that Ghana risks reversing two decades of sanitation progress unless a reliable funding model is urgently established. They argued that waste management is a public good requiring dedicated government funding sources, not just household and business contributions.
Flooding in Greater Accra has cost over GHS 6.3 billion between 2015 and 2025, with damage to SMEs, public infrastructure, and residential property, while Ghana loses an estimated USD 200 million annually to natural disasters. The article argues that the persistence of these losses demonstrates flooding is fundamentally a governance challenge requiring coordinated institutional action rather than merely an environmental problem.
Flooding in Ghana's Greater Accra Metropolitan Area has become a recurring governance crisis, causing economic losses exceeding GHS 6.3 billion between 2015 and 2025, with damages to SMEs, public infrastructure, and residential property. The article examines how fragmented institutional responsibilities undermine coordinated flood management responses.
The Ministry of Local Government has announced a two-day national flood aftermath clean-up exercise scheduled for July 10–11, directed by the President, in which public institutions, communities, and residents in seven flood-affected regions will participate to restore environmental sanitation.
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has announced that a multi-sectoral working group has been established to develop a comprehensive national database on shrines and other religious sites across Ghana, with the aim of identifying and documenting the number of shrines while establishing a clearer definition of what constitutes a shrine.
The Ministry of Local Government held an emergency meeting with MMDCEs and environmental officials to coordinate a Presidential National General Cleaning Exercise scheduled for Friday and Saturday, in response to recent flooding in Accra and other communities and to improve environmental sanitation.
Zoomlion Ghana Limited announced full support for President Mahama's National General Clean-Up Exercise scheduled for July 10–11, 2026, deploying personnel, equipment, and logistics nationwide to assist affected flood-impacted communities and assemblies in restoring sanitation and public health.
The National Development Planning Commission has launched a comprehensive review of the Guidelines for the Operationalisation of the Regional Planning Coordinating Units and District Planning Coordinating Units to strengthen Ghana's decentralised planning system and improve coordination and development planning at regional and district levels. The review was initiated at an inception meeting in Accra with representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Regional Coordinating Councils, and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.
A climate finance expert has called for government to establish a dedicated national fund to address recurring floods, waste management challenges and other climate-related risks, proposing a National Climate Resilience and Climate Economy Infrastructure Facility by June 2027 to mobilise at least US$500million in blended finance for critical climate and environmental infrastructure.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has unveiled a Solid Waste Optimisation Strategy to reduce landfill volumes, promote source separation and composting, improve sanitation infrastructure, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of Accra's transition to a low-emissions waste sector.
Zoomlion Ghana Limited has started a nationwide emergency fumigation and disinfection exercise in response to recent flooding, initially targeting parts of Weija-Gbawe Municipality, Ablekuma North Municipality, and McCarthy Hill in Greater Accra. The operation aims to address sanitation hazards and strengthen Water, Sanitation and Hygiene standards to protect communities from disease outbreaks.
Zoomlion Ghana has begun an emergency fumigation and disinfection exercise nationwide, starting in flood-affected areas of Greater Accra including parts of Weija-Gbawe and Ablekuma North municipalities, with plans to roll out to other flood-prone regions as part of broader efforts to strengthen sanitation standards and prevent disease outbreaks.
RISE-Ghana has urged MMDAs to raise their District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) administrative expenditure cap from 5% to 10%, arguing that the current limit undermines local governance and contributes to recurring financial irregularities reported by the Auditor-General.