By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
A new regional strategy aimed at reinforcing civil society leadership and promoting stronger local ownership of development initiatives has been launched in Accra.
The “Shifting the Power” Programme Strategy brings together partners from Ghana, Malawi and Zambia to strengthen the autonomy, resilience and long-term impact of civic actors across the three countries.
The launch event drew more than 100 participants, including civil society organisations, international NGOs, government agencies, community representatives and development partners.
The strategy sets out how the programme will channel grants, technical support and capacity-building interventions to empower civic institutions to lead effectively within their communities.
Speaking at the event, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, emphasised the urgent need to shift meaningful decision-making power to local organisations.
She noted that strong, well-resourced civil society institutions are essential for inclusive development, social protection delivery and the safeguarding of vulnerable populations.
The Minister explained that the current development landscape, characterised by shrinking funding, evidence-driven demands and global economic pressures requires deliberate investment in building resilient civic institutions.
Strengthening partnerships, she added, is “necessary, forward-looking and critical for national progress.”
Executive Director of STAR-Ghana Foundation, Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, reaffirmed the programme’s core vision of empowering local actors to take the lead in shaping national development agendas.
He said the strategy builds on five years of lessons from civic movements and responds directly to economic and political challenges affecting civil society spaces across the continent.
Development partners including Comic Relief, FCDO and the Tilitonse Foundation highlighted the importance of sustainable funding, stronger accountability systems and deeper cross-country collaboration to build a vibrant civil society ecosystem in the implementing countries.
Stakeholders closed the event with renewed commitments to support active, protected and people-centred civic spaces, reinforcing the broader objective of shifting power to those closest to community needs.
