The Minister for Local Government, Ahmed Ibrahim, has revealed that more than half of Ghana’s Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) failed a recent government performance assessment.
Out of the 261 assemblies evaluated, 143 did not meet the required benchmark, while only 118 passed.
The minister noted that the pass mark for the assessment was set at 36 percent.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, April 20, Mr Ibrahim explained that the exercise forms part of efforts by President John Dramani Mahama’s administration to restore confidence in the country’s decentralisation system after a break in evaluations.
He disclosed that the previous administration under the New Patriotic Party failed to conduct the assessment in 2023, although similar exercises had been carried out up to 2022.
This lapse, he said, affected Ghana’s engagement with development partners.
“Because of that, all the donor partners who were supporting Ghana’s decentralisation said if you can’t help yourself, we will not help you,” he stated.
Mr Ibrahim said upon assuming office, President Mahama directed the ministry to undertake an assessment covering the 2024 performance year, describing it as a crucial step toward resetting the decentralisation framework.
He explained that the evaluation, completed in 2025, was designed to measure how effectively assemblies delivered on their mandates and to promote accountability at the local level.
Describing the results as a wake-up call, the minister stressed the need for improved governance, efficiency and service delivery across all districts.
He added that government will intensify monitoring and evaluation efforts to ensure decentralisation translates into meaningful development outcomes for citizens.
“I am happy to announce that in 2025, we were able to reset the decentralisation concept of the district assemblies in 2024. Out of the 261 assemblies assessed, 143 failed and 118 passed. The pass mark was 36 out of 100,” he said.
