Ambassador Akua Sena Dansua is a Global Health Advocate, and a distinguished   Ghanaian Governance Practitioner with a stint of Diplomatic experience  as Ambassador of Ghana to Germany, (the first female Ambassador to Germany with concurrent accreditation to Estonia, Latvia,  Lithuania and Poland). She is also a former Minister,   Legislator and Journalist with over three decades of public service experience.  Hon Dansua currently serves as Chairperson of the Local Government Service Council of Ghana, Member of the Judicial Council, Member of the Council on Foreign Relations Ghana, Co-Chair of the Global Network on Public Health Emergencies (USA), and a member of the UNITE Global Parliamentarians Network for Global Health. 

As a Member of the Executive arm of Government,  Hon Dansua served as Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs and for Youth and Sports, (the first female in that position and under whose tenure the  National Team, the Black participated in the 2010 World  Cup in  South Africa to the Quarter Final Stage) and also as former Minister for Tourism. In these positions,  Hon Dansua introduced progressive laws, policies and programmes that are still impactful.

Hon Dansua served as a three-term Member of Parliament for the then North Dayi Constituency and prior to that, as  former  District Chief Executive of the then North Dayi  District.

She is also a Dag Hammarskjöld Fellow of the UN Correspondents Association.

Prof. Lord Mensah is the Head of the Local Government Service and Secretary to the Local Government Service Council (LGSC). He is a distinguished financial economist with a wealth of experience in academia, research, and policy advisory. Prior to his appointment to Head the Local Government Service, he was a full professor at the University of Ghana Business School, where he made significant contributions to financial research and education.

An internationally recognized researcher, his extensive publications are indexed in major academic databases, and his work has been presented at premier academic and industry conferences across four continents. He is a frequent speaker at esteemed global finance and economic forums, including the World Finance Conference and the Swiss Society for Financial Market Research in Switzerland.

A respected voice in financial discourse, Prof. is a frequent commentator on economic issues in the Ghanaian media and corporate forums. His background and thought leadership are expected to foster greater collaboration between academia and government institutions, ultimately contributing to well-founded and impactful policies.

Dr Mrs Audrey Smock Amoah, (FGIP) is a highly accomplished practitioner-scholar in development planning, local economic development, local governance and decentralisation and gender and development with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Audrey has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Planning and a Master of Science Degree in Development Policy and Planning from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). She holds a certificate in Gender and Development from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), a Certificate in Human Rights-Based Approach to Planning and Programming from Danida Fellowship Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark and Women in Management from GIMPA & Danida Fellowship Centre. She also has certificates in Investment Appraisal and Risk Analysis from the University of Ghana Business School. Dr Audrey Smock Amoah obtained her Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Planning from KNUST, Kumasi in March 2021. She is a fellow of the Ghana Institute of Planning, and she strives for excellence and professionalism.

Dr Amoah is a Chief Development Planning Officer with vast experience having worked in the districts, region and the national level of the Local Government Service. She started her career in the then Mpohor Wassa East District Assembly from November 2000 as a National Service Person and a staff of the Assembly from 2001 till 2012 when she was posted to the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly also in the Western Region. She was posted to the La Dade-kotopon Municipal Assembly in Greater Accra in 2017. In May 2021, she was appointed as the Regional Development Planning Officer for the Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council, Koforidua. She later became the Director of Management and Technical Services Directorate at the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service in Accra, a position she held from July 2023 until her appointment as Director General of the National Development Planning Commission in February, 2025. Her current role includes providing strategic technical direction and administrative leadership for planning, implementation coordination, monitoring and evaluation and reporting for the attainment of defined objectives, aligned with international commitments, across all sectors and at both national and sub-national levels.

Mr. Amin Abdul-Rahaman is currently the Chief Director of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs. He has varied experience in Public Administration and Public Sector Management, Human Resource Planning & Management and Financial Management in the public sector. He commenced his career in the Administrative Class of the Ghana Civil Service in 1997 and worked variously at Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization & Rural Development, Ministry of Aviation and the Ministry of Transport.

Between 1997 and 2017, Mr. Abdul-Rahaman was part of the team who played a key role in the local government reform process that saw the implementation and deepening of Ghana’s decentralization programme. When the Ministry of Aviation was recreated as an autonomous sector in 2017, he played a pivotal role in setting up the structure and formulation of policies for the smooth take-off of the new Ministry.

During the last couple of years Mr. Abdul-Rahaman served as Board Member on various Governing Boards including the Ghana Road Fund Management Board (2011 – 2017), Ghana Road Safety Authority Board (2010 – 2017) and the Auctioneers Registration Board (2013 – 2017), the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Board (2021-2023) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority Board (2120-2023).

Mr. Abdul-Rahaman’s academic qualifications and career training includes MA, Human Resource Planning & Development, Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration, Postgraduate Certificate in Public Administration, Certificate in Urban Development Management, Certificate in Corporate Governance and BA (Hons) History & Religions.

Prof. Nicholas Awortwi is a professional development planner with 27 years’ experience in research, teaching and advisory services on inter-governmental and inter-sectoral decentralization and local governance, public policy and development management, public sector reforms, social protection, and urban governance. He is currently the Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, Accra, Ghana which will soon become the University of Governance and Development (UGD). Prior to his current position, Nicholas was the Director of African Governance Institute based in The Hague, Netherlands (2017-18), Director of Research at the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), a pan-African organisation based in Nairobi, Kenya that facilitates African social science researchers to produce and communicate high quality policy-relevant research that contributes to innovative institutional development for governance, public policy formulation and ultimately poverty reduction in Africa (2012-2016). From 2004 to 2012, he was a Senior Lecturer in Development Management at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University, The Netherlands and a visiting lecturer at F.H.R Lim A Po School of Public Administration & Governance, Paramaribo in Suriname. From 2004-2012, he was also the Director of three Dutch Government capacity building projects on ‘Good Governance and Public Administration’ in Mozambique; ‘Community Mobilisation for Socio-Economic Development’ and ‘Mainstreaming Social Development into Justice, Law and Order Sector’ both in Uganda. Working with researchers and policy practitioners, Nicholas has conceptualized, built and implemented a community of practice involving researchers and policy actors working together to promote evidence-based policy actions and uptake. He has been one of the leading authors of decentralization and local governance, and social protection issues in Africa and has provided expert analysis and advice to international organizations working in Africa such as the UNDP, UNCDF, World Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, Enabel, NUFFIC, SECO, USAID, and INCLUDE. He has more than 40 peer-review publications in internationally refereed journals and books. Nicholas currently serves on a number of governing councils of government institutions and Advisory Boards of international Organisations.

Dr. Koku Awoonor is a public health physician, health systems and policy analyst and researcher with over 33 years’ experience in policy, planning and programme development and implementation at both the national and sub-national levels, and leading reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition (RMNCH-N) services and conducting research in Ghana. Has several years of practical experience and exposure in health systems management and leadership, human resources management and health systems strengthening at local and international levels, working independently or as a collaborator/consultant. He was former Regional Director of Health, Director of PPMED Ghana Health Service and Health Systems Cordinator at WHO, Pretoria South Africa.  An architect of Ghana’s Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS), Program, he has a reputation of strong leadership and implementation research to drive performance particularly, increased access to quality health care. He is currently the Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Health.

Mr. Michael Harry Yamson is a seasoned management consultant and turnaround strategist with nearly 30 years of experience across FMCG, telecommunications, agribusiness, and investment advisory. His career spans transformative leadership at Unilever across 15 African markets, managing a €1 billion pre-paid telecoms business, and disrupting a 20-year broadcast monopoly as General Manager of Gateway Broadcast Services Ghana. As CEO and Director of Ishmael Yamson & Associates, he has delivered high-impact strategy and investment advisory to major institutions including Tema Oil Refinery, Coca-Cola, and AngloGold Ashanti.

A trusted board-level leader across sectors spanning logistics, financial services, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods, Mr Yamson brings visionary governance, global perspective, and an unwavering results-driven mindset to every institution he leads. In 2025, he was appointed Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund — Ghana's principal constitutional mechanism for promoting equitable development across all Local Government Authorities — where he continues to drive institutional transformation with the same strategic rigour that has defined his distinguished career.

A highly motivated and versatile professional with over 16 years of experience in the Local Government System, I maintain a positive mindset focused on success. I hold a Master of Business Administration in Oil and Gas Management from Coventry University London Campus. For the past eight years,

I am currently the Ag. District Coordinating Director for Atiwa West District Assembly in the Eastern Region of Ghana. I have served as the Eastern Regional Chairman for the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), demonstrating extensive leadership and organizational expertise. My background includes significant governance experience, having served on several governing boards, including the CLOGSAG Fund. I possess a wide range of skills in community entry, administration, leadership, communication, and facilitation, developed through constant interaction with various stakeholders at the local level. Additionally, I have a proven ability to inspire others and adapt easily to change.

Nubyl Kakra Van-Lare is a Ghanaian public servant and former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Adentan Municipal Assembly and currently a member of the Local Government Service Council (LGSC). Appointed by former President John Evans Atta Mills, she was among the first batch of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) sworn into office in May 2009.

During her tenure, she championed several local governance and community development initiatives aimed at improving infrastructure, public safety and orderly urban development within the Municipality. Her administration oversaw the commencement of the Adentan District Police Headquarters project to strengthen local security and law enforcement. She also promoted the effective utilisation of the Adentan Market by encouraging the relocation of roadside traders into the market facility to improve sanitation, urban planning and public safety.

In addition, she advocated peace-building, conflict resolution and measures to address unauthorized structural developments on state lands, contributing significantly to local governance and community engagement within the Adentan Municipality.

I was born on the 11^th March 1957 in Bibiani in the Western North Region of Ghana. I attended Enchi College of Education and obtained Diploma in Education in 1983. I obtained Bachelor of education from the University of Education, Winneba (Kumasi campus) in 2003. I was recruited as a teacher by GES as worked as a teacher from 1983-2017. Some of the positions obtained included girls education officer and the National Technology, Mathematics and Innovation (STME) officer all in the Bibiani education office.

I was enstooled as a Queenmother of the Sefwi-Anhwiaso traditional area in 1989 to date.

Mr. Inusah Shirazu is a Development Planner, a Chartered Accountant and a Legal Practitioner. He is a specialist in decentralised local governance, public policy and public financial management. He commenced his career in development planning and budgeting in the public service with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ghana. He’s risen through the ranks in the Civil Service and now serves as Director responsible for Policy Planning, Coordination, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation with the Ministry of Education, Ghana. 

Mr Inusah has served on several Boards of public entities and national committees including the Road Fund, National Road Safety Commission, Ghana Scholarship Authority, Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana etc among others.

Mr Inusah academic and professional qualifications include Professional Law Qualification Certificate from the Ghana School of Law, Master of Science in Development Finance, Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Art in Integrated Development Studies, and Chartered Accounting (ACCA, UK). Mr Inusah is a Member of the Ghana Institute of Planning and the Ghana Bar Association. 

Christopher Dapaah Kwaku is the Country Director for Resource Link Foundation (RLF). He also holds positions as the National Vice President of the Ghana NGO Coalition on the Rights of the Child (GNCRC), and Regional President for Western and Central Africa of the International Council of Social Welfare (ICSW) and  holds the distinguished position as a  fellow.

 Additionally, he serves as the Ag. National Coordinator for the Local Governance Network (LOGnet) an astute social analysts with keen interest in governance issues and serving as 6^th council Member of the Local Governance Council of Ghana.

He is also a Development Consultant and a member of the SDG 13 Platform and Global Consortium of Civil Society and Non-state Actors on Climate Change and Conference of Parties (GCSCCC). He is the Country Representative of the Eco Climate Vision as Partnership and Grants Development focal person for the Global South and international exposures.

He is also a focal person of the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) - the Independent Global Stocktake (iGST) and community-led advocate empowering indigenous communities on climate action.

He serves as a territorial committee member (CSOs Rep) of the holistic reinforcement for sustainable development (horesd) project under the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly in Ghana.

 Among many Leadership Awards , In 2023, Christopher received Prestigious Dr Nina L Meyerh of Global Award as   a Leader with exceptional potentials and commitment to positive social change held at Hilton Alexandra Mark Center, in Virginia USA.