The Minister for Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, has disclosed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has granted executive approval for the transitioning of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) into a fully-fledged university.

“I am happy to announce that H.E. the President has granted Executive Approval for the transitioning of the ILGS into a fully-fledged university," he said.

According to him, the Parliament of Ghana will grant concurrent approval and pass into law, the University of Local Governance and Development Bill, 2024, when it reconvenes later in September.

He said the university will operate as a specialised public degree awarding, research, and professional training institution, whose mandate shall be of strategic national importance for local governance.

The minister made this known during the International Conference on Decentralisation, Local Governance, and Sustainable Development under the theme “Deepening Decentralisation and Local Governance to Foster Inclusive and Democratic Governance for Sustainable Development”.

Mr. Korsah noted that the establishment of both the Local Government Service (LGS) and the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) in 2003 was intended to address capacity deficiencies of the human resources of local governments.

He assured that the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), will continue to support processes that would seek to promote capacity building in all forms to provide the needed human capital for effective local governance and decentralisation.

“It is remarkable to note that the ILGS from its humble beginnings in 1999 as a project of the then Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, to its establishment in 2003 under the Institute of Local Government Studies Act, 2003 (Act 647); has been transformed into a specialised public management development institution. Under Section 4 (2) of Act 647, the Institute is mandated to award certificates, diplomas, and higher qualifications as may be agreed upon by the Institute and approved by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC)," he added.

The Minister, however, said that the ILGS has rolled out cutting-edge graduate programmes under the tutelage of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).