The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving child-focused development planning through enhanced collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In a high-level meeting held on Monday, November 11, 2025, the two institutions discussed practical strategies to deepen cooperation in advancing Ghana’s development priorities, with a focus on strengthening planning, coordination, and accountability mechanisms that address challenges affecting children.
Speaking during the engagement, NDPC Director-General, Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, underscored the need for greater synergy among development partners to achieve shared national goals. She compared the current fragmented approach to “22 people chasing one ball,” stressing that while many institutions work toward similar objectives, their efforts often lack coherence.
“Everybody is holding a part of the solution to a common problem,” Dr. Amoah said. “Bringing all institutions together will help create a clearer, unified development picture.”
Dr. Amoah welcomed UNICEF’s proposal for a strategic planning retreat aimed at enhancing collaboration and joint problem-solving in child-centered policy delivery. She noted that NDPC continues to align the national policy framework with the President’s Coordinated Programme, ensuring stronger links between national planning and budgeting processes.
UNICEF’s Acting Deputy Representative, Mr. Hammad Masood, commended NDPC for Ghana’s robust and forward-looking national development framework, describing it as one of the most advanced in Africa. He also presented UNICEF’s “bottleneck-based planning” model, which focuses on identifying and resolving systemic barriers that impede progress in critical areas such as child marriage, education, and health.
Both parties expressed optimism that the renewed partnership would drive more inclusive and effective development outcomes for Ghana’s children.
Source: NDPC PR Unit
Read more: https://ndpc.gov.gh/…/ndpc-and-unicef-collaborate
