A delegation from the University of Cape Coast (UCC), led by the Vice Dean of the School of Economics, Dr Emmanuel Ekow Asmah, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, paid a courtesy call on the Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Audrey Smock Amoah. The visit was to present the consolidated report on UCC Data Literacy Week 2026 and discuss opportunities for strengthening strategic collaboration between the two institutions.

Presenting the UCC Data Literacy Week 2026 Consolidated Report on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Asmah expressed the University’s appreciation for NDPC’s support and participation in the programme, noting that the Commission’s contribution enhanced the event’s policy relevance and national significance. He also conveyed the University’s appreciation to Dr Amoah for delivering the keynote address at the closing conference, where she underscored the critical role of data, evidence and analytics in national development planning, policymaking, monitoring and evaluation.

Dr Asmah further proposed a review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between NDPC and UCC in 2021 to reflect emerging priorities and new areas of collaboration. He noted that the existing agreement covers capacity building, joint research and public outreach, including UCC’s support to NDPC in developing a macroeconomic model with technical input from Oxford Economics.

Responding, Dr Amoah welcomed the delegation and expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to participate in the University’s Data Literacy Week activities in Cape Coast. She welcomed the proposal to expand the initiative into a national programme and assured the University of NDPC’s support.

She also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration in institutional data management and sharing, observing that while significant amounts of data exist across public institutions, they are not always available in formats that readily support development planning, policymaking and research. She stressed the importance of improving data accessibility to strengthen evidence-based decision-making.

On the proposed review of the MoU, Dr Amoah welcomed the initiative and requested that UCC share the draft revised agreement with the Commission for consideration. She noted that the revised MoU should reflect current national priorities, including deeper collaboration in promoting data literacy and strengthening evidence-informed policymaking.

The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of NDPC and UCC to deepening institutional collaboration in support of data-driven planning, research and sustainable national development.