PROF. NICHOLAS AWORTWI [Member/ Director, ILGS]

Ph. D. (The Hague) MA (The Hague), B. Sc. (KNUST)

Prof. Nicholas Awortwi has been the Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) since June 2019. He is a professional development planner and an expert in governance and public policy with over 20 years of experience in social protection, decentralization and local governance, public policy and development management, and public-private partnerships. Prior to his appointment as Director of the ILGS, Prof. Awortwi was the Director of the African Governance Institute based in The Hague as well as Director of Research at the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), based in Nairobi, Kenya. He has also worked as Senior Lecturer in Development Management at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University, The Netherlands and a visiting lecturer at various universities including the F.H.R Lim A Po School of Public Administration & Governance, Paramaribo in Suriname.

He holds a PhD Cum Laude (with Distinction) in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University in the Netherlands and in August 2021, he was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. He is a member of the Ghana Institute of Planners and has been one of the leading authors in decentralization and local governance, and social protection issues and provided expert analysis and advice to various international organisations working in Africa such as the UNDP, UNCDF, World Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Netherlands Development Cooperation. He has more than 40 peer-review publications in internationally refereed journals and books. 

HON. AKWASI DARKO BOATENG

EMD (GIMPA), PGDip. (Ghana)

Hon. Akwasi Darko Boateng is a member of the 6^th Council of the Institute of Local Government Studies as a Government Appointee. He is a politician and has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bosome Freho Constituency since January, 2021. Hon. Boateng is a member of the Youth, Sports and Culture Committee; and the Judiciary Committee. Prior to entering parliament, he has been the CEO of Auto-Life Company Limited and Pescourt Hotel.

He holds an Executive Master’s Degree in Governance and Leadership. He also has a Post Graduate Diploma qualification in Business Administration. He obtained his Ordinary and Advanced levels qualification in 1990 and 1993 respectively. As a philanthropist, he has extended benevolence in supporting the vulnerable in society and currently rolling-out an educational trust fund to care for needy but brilliant students in his constituency.

MAD. AGNES TALATA CHIRAVIRA

MA (Cape Coast), PGDip. (Ghana)

Mad. Agnes Talata Chiravira has been a member of the 5^th and 6^th Council of the Institute of Local Government Studies and has served the Institute with distinction as well as been at the fore-front of the transformation of the Institute from 2017 to date as a Government Appointee.

Prior to her appointment, she served as a member of the Board of Directors of the North East Christian Academy (NECA) and the Ghana Association of Social Workers (GASOW). She is the founder and Director of Youth Alive Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in the northern regions of Ghana and a seasoned advocate against injustice and exclusion against vulnerable children/youth and women.

Over the years, she has played lead roles in devising and implementing strategies to promote the reintegration of street youth to mainstream life. She has contributed to championing numerous local and international workshops on gender, childhood development, provided grants for street children and working to promote the well-being of children and women’s development in West Africa.

Mad. Chiravira holds a Master’s degree in Democracy, Governance, Law and Development from the Institute of Development Studies of the University of Cape Coast. She also has a Diploma in Social Administration from the University of Ghana, Legon and a Diploma in Community Development from the Rural Development College, Accra. She has professional certificates in Management Development, Social Development Policy, Planning and Practice, Organisation and Management for Development Training and Communication Planning. In 2007, She won an award for contributing to championing the course of women and children in the Northern Region of Ghana, by the Department Women, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. She recently and proudly received the Papal Awards as a Dames of St. Sylvester, which was conferred by the Holy Father, Pope Francis I. 

REV. MRS. EVA ASARE-BEDIAKO

B.Sc. Planning (KNUST), PGDip. (KNUST), AGIP

Rev. Mrs. Eva Asare-Bediako has been a member of the 5^th and 6^th Council of the Institute of Local Government Studies and played leading roles in the transformation of the Institute from 2017 to date. She is an ordained bi-vocational Reverend Minister and worships with the Tesano Baptist Church of Ghana in Accra. She also has qualification and professional experience as a Development Planner. She has consulting experiences and served as the CEO of A-B Technical and Commercial Ltd.

She has over 38 years’ experience in development planning practice including contributing to local government and decentralisation programmes and implementation of policies and projects in various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in Ghana. From the year 1993 to 2004, she served as a Planning Officer and Training Programmes Administrator at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and in 2008, she also served as the Special Assistant to the Minister of Women and Children Affairs. She provided leadership towards the implementation of the World Bank Urban II, III, and V Projects and strengthened the technical, financial and management capabilities of MMDAs through training. She also facilitated access to micro-credit schemes through MASLOC and HIPC funds for over 23,000 women in MMDAs.

She holds a BSc. Qualification in Planning and a Diploma in Physical Planning, both, from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. She is affiliated to the Ghana Institute of Planners and also a member of the Ministers’ Conference of the Ghana Baptist Convention. Rev. Asare-Bediako over the years, has been an advocate for the welfare of women and children.

MR. SAMUEL SETH PASSAH [Member]

MSc (Rotterdam), BA (Ghana),

Mr. Samuel Seth Passah is a member of the 6^th Council of the ILGS, representing the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), where he works as the Director of Local Governance and Decentralisation. He is a distinguished public servant with previous working experience as Director of Policy, Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPBME) Directorate of the Ministry of Regional Reorganization and Development at the Office of the President, which provided leadership for the creation of six (6) new regions in Ghana.

Mr. Passah is an urban planner and holds a Master’s degree in Urban Management and Development from the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with specialisation in housing and land management. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Resource Development from the University of Ghana. He has made presentations at various national and international platforms and events as well as designed and implemented a number of policy reforms to ensure appropriate uptake either through programmes, legislation, or administrative actions.

DR. KODJO ESSEIM MENSAH-ABRAMPA [Member]

Ph. D. (Dortmund) MPA (Ghana), B. Sc. (KNUST), DFIPMP, MGIP

Dr. Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa is the Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), and represents the NDPC on the Institute’s 6^th Governing Council. He is a Development Planner and an Economist by profession and a public finance and project management as well as monitoring and evaluation expert.

Dr. Mensah- Abrampa has over 30 years of professional policy practice, lecturing and conducting research in various disciplines. He worked as the Senior Technical Adviser to the Ministry of Planning in Ghana, where he facilitated the development of the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies of the President (2017- 2024) and led the dissemination team. He also served as the UNDP global policy adviser for local development and urbanization and the Deputy Head of Region and Regional Technical Adviser for Local Development for UN Capital Development Fund. He had lectured and researched for several years at the KNUST and facilitated the coordination of one of the most successful joint academic and research programmes in Africa- the SPRING Programme. He has published extensively and performed several consultancy assignments and researches on decentralization, development planning, development economic analysis and poverty reduction.

He is a traditional leader, the Fotosanfoɔhene of the Denkyira Traditional Council with the stool name, Nana Dr. Esseim Kwaakontan III.

MR. KOKRO AMANKWA [Member]

MA (Ghana), BA (Ghana),

Mr. Kokro Amankwa has been a member of the 5^th and 6^th Councils of the Institute of Local Government Studies, serving from 2017 to date and representing the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG). Mr. Amankwa is the General Secretary of the NALAG. Prior to his appointment as General Secretary, he had served as Presiding Member (PM) of Atebubu Amanten Municipal Assembly from 2005 to 2009 and been the Assembly Member for Konkrompe Electoral Area, from 2002-2010. He also served in various capacities as the Chairman for the Finance and Administration Sub-Committee at the Atebubu District Assembly and a member of the then, Brong Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council, Sunyani from 2005 -2009.

Mr. Amankwah serves on various committees including the DACF-RFG Technical Working Group and Steering Committee and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Ghana Strengthening Accountability Mechanism (GSAM) Project. He holds two (2) Master’s degrees in Management and Administration and also Adult Education from the University of Ghana, Legon as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Linguistics, from the same university. He is a Human Resource Management Practitioner and an Educationist, a passionate local governance and decentralisation advocate with experience in management, finance and teaching.

ING. (MRS.) MABEL AMOAKO-ATTA [Member]

MSc. (Ox. Brooks, UK), BSc. (KNUST)

Ing. (Mrs.) Mabel Mabel Amoako-Atta is a member of the 6^th Council of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), representing the Public Services Commission (PSC), where she serves as the Ag. Secretary of the Commission. She is a seasoned public servant with over thirty years’ experience. Prior to her appointment as Ag. Secretary of the Commission, she was the Director of Management and Technical Services at the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS). Ing. Amoako-Atta also had working experiences with the Department of Feeder Roads (DFR), where she rose through the ranks to become a Principal Engineer of Planning.  

Ing. Amoako-Atta holds a Master of Science (MSc.) Degree in Environmental Assessment and Management from the Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom.  She also obtained a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) Degree in Civil Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). She is a member of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE) and has served as a member of various international and local committees, including the Decentralisation Working Group, the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the legal Service Board.

ING. DR. STEPHEN NANA ATO ARTHUR [Member]

Ph. D. (Bonn), MSc. (KNUST), B. Sc. (China), PGDip (Dortmund)

Dr. Stephen Nana Ato Arthur has been a member of the 5^th and 6^th Council of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), representing the Local Government Service (LGS). He is a professional engineer, a development planner and an expert in governance and public policy. He is currently the Head of Service of the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS). Prior to his current position, he served as a Member of Parliament in the 6^th Parliament of Ghana (January 2013 to January 2017), representing the good people of the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Constituency in the Central Region of Ghana. He has also served as the Regional Minister of the Central Region and prior to that, the Deputy Regional Minister. He also served as the District Chief Executive (Mayor) for the then KEEA District Assembly from May 2001 to April 2005 and the Vice President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG).

In 2012, he attained his PhD in Development Studies at Centre of Development Research at the University of Bonn in Germany. He holds an MSc in Development Planning and Management from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Regional Planning and Management from the Universitat Dortmund in Germany. He has published extensively and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Administrators and Management Consultants (CIAMC) as well as the Institute of Directors-Ghana (IoD). He is a member of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM), the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM), the Ghana Association for Public Administration and Management (GAPAM) and the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE). Dr. Nana Ato Arthur is one of the leading experts on decentralization and local governance in Ghana.

PROF. IMORO BRAIMAH [Member]

Ph. D. (Kassel), MSc. (KNUST), B. Sc. (KNUST)

Prof. Imoro Braimah has been a member of the 5^th and 6^th Council of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), representing the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). He is a Professor in Planning at the College of Art and Built Environment and the former Provost of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He is also a practitioner in Organisation Development and Management. He holds a PhD from the University of Kassel, Germany and an MSc. in Development Planning and Management from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Prof. Braimah has extensive research experience as well as teaching and consultancy competences in Strategic Planning, Demography and Social Infrastructure Planning including Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) and Energy, Policy Analysis, Decentralization and Urban Planning and Management. As a renowned academician, Prof. Braimah between the period 1989 and 2017, has held administrative and academic positions at the KNUST and served as a Project Evaluator, Intermediate Means of Transport Project. He worked as a Planning Officer and rose through to ranks to a Senior Planning Officer, Part Time Lecturer, Lecturer and, Senior Lecturer. Prof Braimah has been one of the leading authors of journals arising out of research and has over 30 publications to his credit.

David Osei-Wusu

(LL. B., MBA, PGC, B.A., CIHRM)

David Osei-Wusu has worked with the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Accra, in the last 23 years serving in various capacities, the last ten years, in his current role as Registrar. He studied at the University of Ghana, Accra, where he obtained a Bachelor's degree with a major in Economics in 1999. His second degree was earned with distinction in 2003, having pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme, with specialisation in Finance and Accounting at the Maastricht School of Management (MSM), The Netherlands. In 2009, Mr. Osei-Wusu obtained a Post Graduate Certificate Course in Organisational Culture and Management from the same institution, MSM. He also holds a Post-Graduate Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Law School, Accra.

Mr. Osei-Wusu has over 15 years’ work experience as a corporate governance and institutional management practitioner. He has worked in various capacities in the last 23 years for the ILGS and performed very important roles in the expansion and successes of the Institute as well as the local government sector. He has depth and contextual knowledge and experience in social development, corporate governance, local economic development; participatory planning and budgeting; and fiscal decentralisation. He has also performed extensive teaching and consultancy assignments as well as facilitated experience learning sessions in social development, performance management, strategy development, behaviour change communication as well as environmental health and sanitation. His recent publications have been in the area of local economic development, financial resource base of local governments and fiscal decentralisation as well as performance assessment tools for local authorities in Ghana.