Ghana’s civil society space stands at a crossroads, as calls for sweeping internal reforms grow louder amid shrinking donor support and rising demands for accountability. At the heart of the appeal is a powerful message from Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), who says the time has come for a “productivity revolution” within the sector.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Ghana Civil Society Forum (GCSF) in Accra, Dr. Thompson warned that unless civil society organisations (CSOs) adapt quickly to shifting realities, they risk fading into irrelevance.
“Civil society must now prove its worth—not only to donors, but more importantly, to the Ghanaian people,” he declared.
Organised by STAR-Ghana Foundation in collaboration with Oxfam, WACSI, Transparency International Ghana and other partners, the two-day national gathering brought together over 500 stakeholders from across the country’s civic landscape to reimagine their collective role in Ghana’s development.
This year’s theme, “Reimagining Development Financing and Civic Action – Challenges, Opportunities, and the Way Forward,” reflects the urgency of the moment: how to survive—and thrive—amid a declining aid landscape and heightened public expectations.
Dr. Thompson minced no words in highlighting the legitimacy crisis facing parts of the civic sector. “There is a widening gap between what civil society preaches and what it practises. We call for transparency and good governance, yet many of our own organisations lack the same,” he said.
He added that with only two percent of global development aid reaching local organisations in the Global South, CSOs in Ghana must begin to cultivate local support and diversify their funding strategies.
“Domestic resource mobilisation is no longer optional. We must tap into our own high-net-worth individuals, embrace digital fundraising tools, and build social enterprises,” he advised.
But the NDPC Chair warned that these efforts would mean little without strong internal systems and measurable impact.
“Ghanaians are willing to give, but they want to see results—not privilege and overheads. It’s about showing value for money, not just raising funds.”
He also raised concerns over external donor influences, cautioning CSOs against blindly aligning with foreign ideologies that may be at odds with Ghana’s development needs or cultural values.
“Partnerships must be strategic and values-based,” he urged, citing nations like South Korea and Japan as examples where aid was effectively used to strengthen national systems without undermining sovereignty.
Dr. Thompson called for enhanced collaboration across the civic space, greater efficiency, and a deeper focus on grassroots engagement rather than donor directives. He warned that internal inefficiencies, elitism, and opaque practices risk alienating the very communities CSOs claim to serve.
Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who officially opened the Forum, echoed these sentiments, calling for a radical shift from dependency on traditional aid to models grounded in citizen ownership and homegrown solutions.
“Development is no longer about aid; it’s about agency. We must re-centre citizens in everything we do,” she said.
Adding to the charge, STAR-Ghana Foundation’s Executive Director, Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, acknowledged that the sector is at a “critical turning point,” where legitimacy, relevance, and resilience must be earned—not assumed.
“This forum is more than a dialogue—it’s a moment of reckoning. If we don’t challenge the models that shaped our past, we risk becoming obsolete in shaping our future,” Amidu warned.
With the civic sector under pressure to justify its place in Ghana’s development architecture, the 2025 Forum may go down as a defining moment—a wake-up call not just to adapt, but to lead with integrity, innovation, and impact.
