The European Union has adopted its Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP) for Ghana outlined in a Joint Programming Document for 2021-2027.
This has been developed with Team Europe partners, namely EU Members States: Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Spain – as well as Switzerland and the European Investment Bank.
It has also been drafted in close consultation with Ghanaian authorities, civil society and other national stakeholders.
The European Union will provide EUR 203 million for the period 2021-2024 for the three following priorities: i) Green growth and jobs, ii) Smart and sustainable cities, and iii) Good governance and security.
Below is a short and non-exhaustive overview of some of these new priorities.
Security and Stability
Strengthening Ghana’s preparedness and resilience to insecurity has rarely been more relevant than now. In the context of increasing instability and a series of military coups in neighbouring countries, the European Union has committed to supporting Ghana to prevent and mitigate the risk of conflict.
Several ongoing projects are already achieving this goal, including NorPrevSec (EUR 5.9 million), Strengthening Border Security (EUR 5 million) and a number of other counter-terrorism programmes, particularly in Ghana’s Northern regions.
Moreover, the European Union is also supporting Ghana on a different front, namely maritime security and the fight against piracy.
For the 2021-2024 period, the European Union will further build on these initiatives, but also hopes to strengthen its political alliance with Ghana on security issues. In the context of Ghana’s seat at the UN Security Council and President Akufo-Addo’s Chairmanship of ECOWAS, the European Union will support the country in asserting its strategic priorities and positive agenda in the realm of regional security.
Health and Vaccines
To date, Team Europe, consisting of the EU and its Member States, has shared over 380 million COVID-19 vaccine doses globally, out of which 145 million doses to African countries – the latter number expected to triple to 450 million by the summer of 2022. The EU is also committed to building vaccine production capacity in Africa.
To this end, the EU and its Member States are engaged in a EUR 1 billion Team Europe Initiative aimed at strengthening “Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies in Africa”.
Additionally, as part of the EU Global Gateway strategy, Team Europe will mobilize another EUR 300 billion of investments globally in health, amongst other areas.
In Ghana, the European Union and the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ) are supporting Ghana’s ground-breaking steps toward building local vaccine production capacity.
The Initiative forms part of a 10-year roadmap developed by the Ghanaian government to make Ghana a vaccine-manufacturing hub in the subregion. As a first step, the European Union will facilitate the upgrade and strengthening of the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority and contribute to the production of Ghana’s first batch of COVID-19 vaccines by early 2024. The Initiative will also enable Ghana to manufacture other vaccines, including mRNA-vaccines against malaria and tuberculosis, as well as more traditional, paediatric vaccines.
Smart Cities and Digitalisation
In the programming for 2021-2024, the European Union decided to invest in the development of smart and resilient cities.
High population and infrastructure density make cities ideal locations for digital transformation, greater efficiency and productivity – this could, in turn, lead to economic growth and inclusiveness, while at the same time contributing to climate change mitigation and resilience.
Imagine for a moment being able to book and pay for your transport from the countryside to a regional city, with a combination of a bike rental service, a tro-tro, and a rapid bus transport line in the city. Imagine having access to the city portal for the payment of your taxes, your house utilities, your local waste collection; imagine the possibility to rent a place in the central market, and to book it in advance exactly for the period when you plan to sell your agricultural or artisanal products.
Imagine the number of digital services that could be generated in an urban context, the jobs created, and the opportunities to increase the portfolio of traditional businesses.
There are plenty of examples of digital transformation where the advantages for the individual mean also advantages for the community, and ultimately the country as a whole.
For this very reason, the European Union has decided to cooperate with Ghana on this topic, supporting the country on its path towards a more digital and more sustainable future.
The event happened on Tuesday, February 15, 2021 at the Ambassador’s residence in Accra.
In attendance were Journalists and Media Practitioners who work closely with the EU Mission and Diplomatic Community of Ghana.
