Mahama: MiDA is Ghana’s gateway to global philanthropy

President John Dramani Mahama has emphasized the crucial role of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) in aligning Ghana's engagement with global philanthropic institutions. This, he explained, ensures that grants and development support are complementary to national priorities. The President conveyed this during a meeting with Alex Soros, Chairman of the Open Society Foundations (OSF), while Ghana is actively seeking to strengthen ties with global philanthropic and development partners at the United Nations General Assembly.

The President reaffirmed MiDA's expanded mandate, which was introduced in 2025, highlighting its role as the Government’s central coordinating body for philanthropic, grant, and humanitarian partnerships.

Mahama argued that Ghana requires a more coordinated approach to development assistance, where international partners collaborate to identify priority areas instead of supporting isolated interventions within multiple sectors. He stressed that MiDA's mandate is to ensure that such support reaches the right areas and delivers maximum impact, considering that many philanthropic initiatives are cross-sectoral and may get entangled in bureaucratic processes.

According to the President, MiDA is tasked with coordinating these activities and ensuring that development resources align with Ghana's national priorities while maintaining accountability.

Mahama used his dialogue with Soros to discuss a broader philosophy underpinning Ghana’s engagement with global philanthropy. He pointed out that while philanthropic organizations often focus on specific areas like women's empowerment, environmental programs, health, and social interventions, an uncoordinated approach could dilute resources without achieving significant impact.

Ghana, according to Mahama, should adopt a dialogue-based approach to identify national priorities and form partnerships around them. The President also underlined the importance of African self-reliance, which must be accompanied by improved governance, accountability, transparency, and prudent management of domestic resources.

He maintained that this does not imply isolation from international partners but rather the development of partnerships where both parties work towards clearly defined development objectives. This approach aligns with the wider Accra Reset agenda championed by Mahama, which includes promoting health sovereignty, boosting African agency, and reshaping the dynamic between Africa and its international partners.

The President informed Soros about Ghana's existing collaborations with entities like Gavi and the Global Fund, alongside their ongoing work on health sovereignty and the broader Accra Reset agenda aimed at fostering more sustainable development financing and diminishing reliance on external humanitarian aid. Soros, in turn, expressed interest in further cooperation, particularly through the G20 platform, financial reforms, and aspects related to regional security and development.

This meeting takes place amid Ghana's ongoing engagement with major global foundations and philanthropic institutions concerning the nation's development strategies.