The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), is strengthening efforts to institutionalise hygiene promotion within local governance structures. Speaking at the 2025 Global Handwashing Day commemoration in Accra, the Minister, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim (MP), outlined practical steps being taken through the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to make handwashing a permanent feature of community life.

He explained that local governments are at the frontline of promoting sanitation and hygiene, adding that the Ministry is integrating hygiene performance into the assessment framework for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs). This, he said, is to ensure accountability, consistency, and leadership in advancing environmental health at the grassroots level.

Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim further highlighted Ghana’s progress under several national frameworks, including the National Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plan (NESSAP), the Rural Sanitation Model and Strategy (RSMS), and the National Open Defecation Free (ODF) and Safely Managed Sanitation Roadmap. These, he noted, serve as guiding blueprints for sustainable sanitation and hygiene improvement across the country.

To date, over 6,000 handwashing stations have been installed nationwide, with hand hygiene education fully integrated into the School Health Education Programme (SHEP). Local initiatives such as “Clean Hands for Clean Communities” are also being promoted by MMDAs to encourage consistent hygiene practices at home, in schools, and in markets.

“Handwashing is not an isolated activity but a pillar of environmental sanitation and public health,” Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim remarked, reaffirming government’s commitment to deepening inter-ministerial collaboration with the Ministries of Health, Education, and Water Resources, as well as development partners in the WASH sector.

Source: Darling Maame Efua Cann
MLGCRA: Public Relations Unit

Ghana’s Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim (MP), has called for a sustained national culture of handwashing as a patriotic act and a pillar of public health resilience. Speaking at the 2025 Global Handwashing Day commemoration in Accra, the Minister urged citizens to move beyond awareness and make handwashing a lifestyle that reflects Ghana’s collective commitment to health, dignity, and sustainable development.

He noted that cultivating a handwashing culture must transcend annual campaigns to become a national habit anchored in care, responsibility, and self-discipline. The Minister emphasised that hygiene is both a personal and civic duty — a simple yet powerful act that contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those on good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and climate resilience (SDG 13).

“Every clean hand is a symbol of care, every wash is a shield against disease, and every handwashing hero is a builder of a healthy Ghana,” Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim declared, reinforcing that Ghana’s progress toward health security and sustainable development begins with consistent individual responsibility.

The 2025 Global Handwashing Day, observed under the theme “Clean Hands Are Within Reach,” provided a platform for government, partners, and citizens to reaffirm their collective role in building a healthier, cleaner, and more resilient nation.

Source: Darling Maame Efua Cann
MLGCRA: Public Relations Unit

The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to apply strict fiscal discipline and transparency in managing the historic GHC25 million transfer allocated to each Assembly in 2025. He made the call during the National Capacity Building Programme on Leadership and Governance, IGF-ESG Frameworks, and Public Procurement Management held in Accra in June 2025.

The Minister explained that the move aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to strengthen local governance and ensure equitable development across districts. He noted that the 2025 allocation marks a significant break from past transfers, representing a direct release of at least 80 percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to the MMDAs, compared to previous years when less than 50 percent reached the Assemblies after central deductions.

Drawing parallels from Indonesia’s early 2000s “Big Bang” fiscal decentralisation, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim cautioned that sudden large-scale fiscal transfers could lead to inefficiency, weak supervision, and corruption if not properly managed. He cited Indonesia’s experience, where increased transfers without adequate local capacity initially resulted in mismanagement and corruption before reforms later restored stability.

To prevent similar pitfalls, the Minister outlined key oversight measures including the development of utilization guidelines that preserve local autonomy, strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems, and empowering Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) to conduct spot checks. He further emphasized the need for Assemblies to report quarterly on the use of funds before additional transfers are made.

Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim also called for transparency through the regular publication of fund utilization reports and citizen engagement via newsletters and local newspapers. He stressed that any MMDAs found misapplying funds would face immediate sanctions to deter misuse and maintain public confidence in Ghana’s decentralisation framework.

He reminded Assemblies that the GHC25 million allocation does not replace their obligation to mobilize Internally Generated Funds (IGFs), but rather complements it. “Accountability must remain at the heart of our governance at all levels. Fiscal empowerment should go hand in hand with fiscal responsibility,” he said.

The Minister reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring that the historic transfers strengthen local governance, accelerate grassroots development, and deepen fiscal decentralisation without compromising integrity and accountability.

Source: Darling Maame Efua Cann
MLGCRA Public Relations Unit