The Institute of Local Government Studies held a Validation Workshop with its stakeholders to review the University of Local Governance and Development Bill, 2024 on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th July, 2024 at the Institute’s Campus in Accra.
The validation workshop was a process to obtain feedback on the relevance and coverage of provisions in the draft Bill, from stakeholders prior to its submission to Parliament for consideration and approval to transition the Institute into a fully-fledged University.
The Institute’s Third Multi-Year Strategic Plan (2020-2024) envisaged a review of the Institute of Local Government Studies Act, 2003 (Act 647) that could help bring about significant changes to the Institute’s growth and sustainability. The review of Act 647 was to culminate into the Institute obtaining a Presidential Charter, to operate as a specialised public degree awarding, research and professional training institution, whose mandate shall be of strategic national importance for strengthening local governance capacity, pursuant to article 240(2)9/b) of the 1992 Constitution.
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGRD) and the Ministry of Education, H. E. The President of the Republic of Ghana, in accordance with section 29(1)(a) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), approved a joint ministerial request to the establishment of the new University of Local Governance and Development (ULGD). The requisite action to complete processes towards the transitioning of the ILGS into a fully-fledged University, was to seek the approval of Parliament. Accordingly, the University of Local Governance and Development Bill, was drafted and subjected to review through a series of stakeholders’ consultations.