Ghana is positioning itself to fully harness the gains of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiative as government intensifies efforts to deepen transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.
The Minister of State, Public Sector Reforms, Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba, said the country had made significant strides under the OGP framework since joining the global initiative in 2011, with reforms already yielding positive outcomes across key sectors.
Delivering a joint statement on the floor Parliament on Friday May 22 to commemorate the 2026 Open Government Week celebration, the Minister noted that Ghana’s implementation of the OGP had resulted in major institutional reforms, including the passage and operationalisation of the Right to Information Act, the establishment of a public beneficial ownership register, and improvements in public financial management systems.
According to her, the reforms have strengthened access to information, enhanced corporate transparency, and promoted open data initiatives in sectors such as health, education, and the extractives.
She explained that Ghana’s OGP framework operates through a collaborative process involving government, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders, with the Public Sector Reform Secretariat under the Office of the President serving as the national secretariat.
The Minister disclosed that a 20-member steering committee made up of representatives from government and civil society oversees the implementation and monitoring of National Action Plans under the initiative.
She highlighted Parliament’s growing role in the OGP process through the establishment of an Open Parliament Action Plan, an OGP Caucus in Parliament, and an Open Parliament Steering Committee co-chaired by the Speaker of Parliament and civil society representatives.
The Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Tempane said Ghana’s efforts had received both continental and global recognition, citing the country’s success at the 2023 Open Government Awards in Tallinn, Estonia, where Ghana won the Africa Regional Award in the national category for reforms linked to the Public Accounts Committee and Audit Reports.
She added that Ghana was recently commended at the African Open Government Partnership Conference in Rabat, Morocco, for its commitment to promoting parliamentary openness and citizen participation in governance.
The Minister, however, emphasized the need for renewed commitment from both Parliament and the Executive to sustain the gains achieved under the initiative.
She called for adequate financial and political support for the implementation of Ghana’s Fifth National Action Plan and urged lawmakers to strengthen Parliament’s institutional role in the OGP process.
The Minister also advocated broader stakeholder engagement beyond Accra to ensure citizens across all regions actively participate in governance reforms.
The lawmaker appealed for the passage and implementation of pending legislative instruments and bills aimed at consolidating transparency and accountability reforms in the country.
Madam Akanvariba maintained that the Open Government Partnership should not be treated as a donor-driven programme but rather as a national reform agenda jointly owned by Parliament, the Executive, and the Ghanaian people.
By: Christian Kpesese
