Mahama unveils new deal with global philanthropy

President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a new strategy for Ghana's relationship with international philanthropy, emphasizing partnerships that reinforce national institutions, build local capacity, and align development outcomes with Ghana's priorities. The announcement came at a high-level meeting in New York that brought together about 20 major US-based philanthropic organizations, including the Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller Foundation, Hilton Foundation, and Ford Foundation.

The gathering, organized by the Open Society Foundations, aimed to explore a new approach to international development cooperation at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

Mahama argued that the evolving global development landscape offers an opportunity for Ghana and other Global South countries to reconsider their relationship with international development partners. Rather than merely seeking new sources of funding, the objective should be to enhance institutional capabilities that enable countries to take more control over their own development.

He noted that funding priorities can shift rapidly, and decisions made far away can have immediate consequences for programs, institutions, and communities.

While Ghana has a clear development vision outlined in Agenda 2063, the challenge lies in translating this ambition into tangible results that require well-functioning institutions, the ability to mobilize and manage resources, stronger negotiating capabilities, programs that attract suitable forms of finance, and systems for proper result accounting and learning.

Mahama outlined Ghana's Accra Reset, which is based on the principle that sovereignty must be accompanied by the capacity to exercise it. For greater country leadership, governments must set clear priorities, improve coordination, enhance financial management, and develop institutions capable of delivering measurable results. He challenged international partners to assess whether their approaches are adequately designed to strengthen national institutions and grant them more space to lead.

Philanthropy, according to Mahama, has a unique role to play as foundations can support areas that conventional development finance and commercial capital may not readily fund. These areas include institutional capacity building, early-stage program development, public goods, social priorities, and evidence generation.