WASHINGTON, September 25, 2018 - The World Bank today approved a $100 million International Development Association (IDA)* credit for the Ghana Secondary Cities Support program to enhance urban management and improve basic services for residents in 25 secondary cities and the urban poor.
“Ghanaians residing in participating municipalities will have improved access to urban services, such as better roads, efficient services, and reduced flooding,” said Henry Kerali, World Bank Country Director for Ghana.
The Ghana Secondary Cities Support Program is part of Government’s broader urban development and decentralization program. It will help strengthen local systems and focus on municipal assemblies by providing them incentives to improve their performance as city managers. The program will also assist regional and national institutions to provide municipal assemblies with the support needed for effective urban management and service delivery.
Ghana is highly urbanized, and its future will depend on how efficiently and effectively its urban centres will be managed. “The Ghana Secondary Cities Program will support Government’s National Decentralization Action Plan to ensure the effective and efficient management of urban centres to create jobs for the youth of the cities involved,” said Meskerem Brhane, World Bank Practice Manager Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience for Africa Region.
The Ghana Secondary Cities Support project is being implemented through the World Bank’s Program for Results Instrument.
* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 75 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.5 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 54 percent going to Africa.
