The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has commenced a five-day capacity building initiative to equip selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) with the skills to identify and attract investment opportunities. The program is being funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The training workshop, which is taking place from 3- 7June , 2024 in Koforidua, Eastern Region, targets eight MMDAs in the Upper West, Upper East, and North East regions of Ghana - areas that have traditionally faced development challenges due to conflicts and instability. These regions are rich in resources and potential that are yet to be fully leveraged.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Kodjo Essiem Mensah-Abrampa, Director-General of the NDPC, emphasized the importance of the MMDAs developing the capacity to effectively brand themselves and engage private partners to drive development in their jurisdictions. 
"We need to be very technical to stand on our own feet and achieve our development objectives," Dr. Mensah-Abrampa said. "Decision-making must be based on facts to reflect the activities planned."
The 24-member technical team participating in the workshop comprises representatives from key government agencies, including the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Institute of Local Government Studies, Ministry of Finance, University of Ghana Business School, University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, Wa, NPDC and the UNDP.
The Development Planning Officers from each of the selected districts have also been invited to participate in the toolkit development process, with the aim of building their understanding of the processes and requirements needed to formulate investment attraction strategies for their respective jurisdictions.
The overall objective of the workshop is to build the capacity of the MMDAs to identify and attract investment to improve their revenue mobilization efforts. The specific focus of this step is to develop a toolkit on identifying and attracting investment at the local level.
Participants will review existing guidelines and materials, and collaboratively develop the contents of the toolkit. This inclusive approach is expected to ensure the final product meets the unique needs of the MMDAs.
By equipping the MMDAs with the necessary skills and tools, the NDPC and its partners aim to reignite the development potential of these regions, leveraging their comparative advantages to attract investment and drive socio-economic progress.