The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has joined Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) from across the country for a three-day orientation and training programme aimed at enhancing leadership, governance, and policy implementation at the local level.

The programme, which opened on Wednesday at the Institute of Local Government Studies and aimed at knowledge sharing, policy alignment, and capacity development, is being organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs in collaboration with the Office of the President.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, Mayor Allotey described the training as “timely and crucial,” especially as many assemblies were gearing up to implement renewed mandates and flagship initiatives.

“This orientation is a strategic opportunity to harmonise our roles as Chief Executives of our local areas with the national development agenda,” he stated. 

“For me, as Mayor of Accra, this comes at a time when we are rolling out major initiatives in sanitation, digitised enforcement, and infrastructure under our new vision for the city,” he added. 

The Mayor also highlighted the importance of sister city and assembly collaboration, noting that the training was a unique forum for exchanging experiences and learning from the successes and challenges of other districts.

 “Accra cannot develop in isolation. The spillover effects of waste, transport, housing, and economic migration are regional, and platforms like this help us align on solutions,” he said.

Hon. Allotey reaffirmed his commitment to leveraging the lessons from the programme to further reposition Accra as a “resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking capital city.”

He disclosed that he would soon be implementing the 24-Hour Clean Accra Initiative, the Mayor’s Special Ball, the Special Weekend Trading Initiative, the establishment of the A.M.A. City Authority Guards, the introduction of a 24-Hour Ticketing Cycle, the Green Accra Initiative, and a comprehensive Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Programme for urban redevelopment and infrastructure enhancement as part of the government agenda for development at the local level.

The Mayor explained that the 24-Hour Clean Accra Initiative sought to introduce a three-shift sanitation system and waste segregation to ensure continuous cleanliness and job creation, while the Mayor’s Special Ball aimed to mobilise funding for critical infrastructure, education, health, and sanitation projects through public-private collaboration.

He pointed out that the Special Weekend Trading Initiative institutionalises designated vending days and spaces to promote lawful, organised trading and reduce congestion, adding that the formation of the A.M.A. City Authority Guards was intended to strengthen bylaw enforcement and safeguard public spaces.

He added that the 24-Hour Ticketing Cycle would leverage digital tools for real-time monitoring and enforcement of the city to boost compliance and revenue.

He announced that as part of measures to respond to climate threats, the Green Accra Initiative would be introduced to enhance urban greening, biodiversity, and air quality, while the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Initiative complements this effort by driving large-scale infrastructure redevelopment, including markets and transport terminals, through strategic partnerships with the private sector.

“This is a new chapter for Accra; the reset has begun,” the Mayor concluded.