There are notable efforts to bolster governance frameworks and improve transparency and accountability within the public sector. However, perception of corruption and inefficiencies in the public sector remains high. While 69.7 percent of Ghanaians are satisfied with their most recent experience of public services, it is important to reflect on the transformative services needed to accelerate the SDGs.

Ghana’s digital agenda (target 9.1), which signify the transformative services, when combined with investment in mobile technology (target 9.c) will ensure access to finance (target 8.10) and drive health (target 3.8) for all. The Agenda is digitizing government services (target 16.6), to build a biometric national identity register (target 16.9), to deploy a digital property addressing system (target 11.1), to develop mobile money interoperability and to institutionalize paperless port operations (target 9.1).

Ghana will take integrated actions which are drivers of progress across the SDGs: empower citizens to demand quality public services, strengthen feedback mechanisms in public service delivery and launch the National Monitoring and Evaluation Information System to monitor the quality-of-service deliver. The government will also intensify efforts for work on public-private partnerships, strengthening anti-corruption measures, enhancing e-governance, supporting open budget platforms, public financial management reforms and promoting public participation. This will be enabled by building and upgrading technological infrastructure which is essential for promoting transparent and efficient institutions.

Unemployment rate in 2021 is 13.4% and it is higher for females (15.5%) than males (11.6%). It is much higher for young adults 15-24 years (32.8%).

Agenda for Jobs II is the main focus of the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework and of the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies for 2021-2025. Over this period Ghana intends to deepen its efforts started in the Agenda for Jobs I, including “One District, One Factory”, “One Village, One Dam”, and the implementation of the Ghana CARES programme.

To advance the transformational potential of the jobs and decent work ambition, policy combinations in the following areas can yield key multipliers:

• Close connection between national and local job creation, activating the 300 local authorities and leveraging local resources to power economic growth with social indicators for wellbeing.
• Rethinking incentive structures that minimize barriers in legislation and regulation for businesses to formalize their activities and to use this as an entry point for enhancement in key industries, in particular the service sector.
• Implement strategic initiatives such as the YouState Programmes, providing funding and technical support to youth and youth-led businesses; Youth in Afforestation Programme: job creation by youth’s engagement in reforestation, rehabilitation and protection of degraded forests and Youth in Agriculture Programme (YIAP): motivate youth to accept and appreciate farming/food production.

Ghana has made significant progress in school attendance and completion rates. Gender parity has been achieved in kindergarten, primary and junior high school levels. Progress is also noted in improvement in schools accessing basic services such as electricity, basic water services and basic sanitation facilities. However, absenteeism and dropout among girls largely due to menstruation is persistent. There is also a challenge in junior high school (JHS) completion rates.

A focus on Target 4.1 will help build the adequate human capital and enhance employability skills (Target 8.2) that will support Ghana’s industrialization drive (Target 9.2) and potentially lead to reduction in poverty (Target 1.1 and 1.2) and close inequality gaps (Target 10.2).

The government, in collaboration with development partners will forge a stronger partnership in implementing the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Free Senior High School and Technical and Vocational Education, Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE), Science, Technology, Engineering and mathematics (STEM), The Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP). Implementing these programmes will lead to improved child nutrition, increased enrolment and retention, an inclusive society where everyone has access to education, promote the study of STEM and improve teachers professional standing and the overall quality of education.

There is a strong spatial inequality on access to sanitation and hygiene services in Ghana. Estimates show a 41% access in urban areas and just 13% in rural areas. Household toilet coverage has increased from 46% in 2010 to 59.3% in 2021.

There is a positive correlation between improved access to sanitation services, health outcomes, increased productivity and economic growth. Improved access to sanitation services supports better health by reducing water related diseases (Target 3.3), enhances education through improved school environments (Target 4.7), boosts economic growth by raising productivity and lessening health related costs (target 8.4) with positive impact on Ghana’s industrialization drive (Target 9.2) with residual benefits through job creation (Target 8.5) and poverty reduction (Target 1.1 and 1.2).

The National Environmental Sanitation Policy and Investment Plan that seeks to ensure the sustainable management of environmental sanitation; the integrated Recycling and Composting Plana (IRECoP) a PPP partnership to improve waste recycling and a project for Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area to increase access to improved sanitation and water supply.

Above all, rallying support for two critical initiatives that the government is pioneering, the toilet-for-all initiative to ensure universal access to sanitation and the waste-to energy investment holds great potential for achieving SDGs 6 and related goals.

Ghana is on track to achieving universal access to electricity with 86.3 percent of the population connected to the national grid in 2021; the coverage was higher in urban areas, 95.2% and 72.6% in rural areas; this is more than four times the rural coverage in 2000. Recent data show that 88.5% of the country’s population has electricity access of which 65.3% is thermal, 34.1% hydro and 0.6% renewables.

Improved energy efficiency is linked to an uptake in renewables, which ultimately limits the emission footprints (Target 13.2) thereby creating opportunities for more green industries (Target 9.2) which has implications for creating new and green jobs (Target 8.5) and reducing poverty (Target 1.1 and 1.2).

To achieve target 7.3, Ghana is working towards a gradual improvement in the share of renewables in energy generation mix, decrease the cost of solar panels, address the continuous disparity in access to electricity between the northern and southern parts and reduce the number of households depending on wood fuel/charcoal by reducing cost of LPG. Also, the Power Sector Development and Management programme, Energy Efficiency and Demand-side Management, Renewable and Alternative Energy Development Programme and the 4. Ghana Energy Development and Access Project (GEDAP) will yield greater results given the country’s established framework (policy and legislation) for engaging the private sector and development partners in infrastructure development.