The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has deepened its commitment to sustainable urban development with a stakeholder consultative meeting on the Ghana Smart Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Cities Programme aimed at creating awareness about SDGs, promoting peace and leaving no one behind.

The meetings, held at the Ashiedu Keteke, Okaikoi South, and Ablekuma South Sub-Metropolitan Districts respectively, formed part of the Assembly’s mandate to localise and implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through data-driven planning, inclusive governance, effective service delivery, climate resilience, community participation, and smart infrastructure development.

The engagement focused on discussions around Ghana’s Smart SDG targets and indicators, and the need for stakeholder involvement to ensure broad-based support and effective implementation of the programme.

Addressing participants, the Director of Budget at the AMA, Mr. Noble Atsu Ahadzie, explained that Accra was among ten cities nationwide selected for the programme, which was supported by the Government of Ghana, the Government of Norway, and UN-Habitat. 

He said the initiative sought to accelerate the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda through localised indicators, data-driven planning, inclusive governance, and climate resilience.

Mr. Ahadzie highlighted that the consultative meeting was designed to contextualise the global SDGs into local indicators that address the realities of communities in Accra. 

He outlined priority areas, including reducing urban poverty (SDG 1) through targeted social protection and livelihood programmes, promoting health and well-being (SDG 3) by encouraging sports, physical activity, and improved access to health services, as well as ensuring clean water and sanitation (SDG 6) with stronger investment in waste management and drainage.

Others he mentioned included expanding affordable energy access (SDG 7) through renewable energy and efficiency measures, creating decent work (SDG 8) by supporting entrepreneurship and youth employment, building sustainable cities (SDG 11) through resilient infrastructure, housing and urban planning and strengthening climate action (SDG 13) with flood control, waste reduction, and green projects.

“These local indicators are designed to make the SDGs relevant to the people of Accra.

When we talk about reducing poverty, improving sanitation, or creating jobs, we are talking about practical interventions that can be measured and felt in our communities, ” he said. 

Mr. Ahadzie stressed that the success of the Smart SDG Cities Programme required broad-based partnerships between government, private sector, civil society, and academia, adding that the AMA would rely on participatory visioning, evidence-based planning, and continuous feedback from stakeholders to shape investment-ready projects.

He disclosed that Accra would benefit from a digital diagnostics toolkit, global technical backstopping, and city-to-city exchanges under the initiative, while gaining access to a city investment facility to attract impact investors.

Mr. Ahadzie assured participants that feedback from the engagements would be integrated into the city’s strategic planning and reporting systems.

“Our goal is to ensure that every citizen sees themselves in the SDG process.

The indicators we adopt must speak directly to the needs and aspirations of Accra’s people,” he said.