The Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) is committed to championing the cause of local governance in Ghana because it believes that decentralisation, coupled with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), can propel the country’s growth.

Alhaji Osman Abdel-Rahman, Executive Director of GDCA, said this in the association’s release signed and issued on Thursday to mark this year’s African Decentralisation and Local Government Day.

On 10 August every year, African Union (AU) member states celebrate the African Decentralization and Local Development Day. This year’s theme is “Accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).”

Alhaji Abdel-Rahman stressed that the AfCFTA initiative presents a huge potential for local development.

“It is argued to be either the largest or the second largest free trade area in the world, after the World Trade Organization (WTO), considering the number of members, the potential market population, and other factors. For Ghana in particular, hosting the AfCFTA’s Secretariat presents an additional opportunity for the country,” he added.

The Executive Director of GDCA said that the importance of integrating social accountability into the AfCFTA implementation strategy would ensure transparency, inclusivity, and effective progress tracking, thereby expediting the benefits of the AfCFTA for the people of Ghana.

“The AfCFTA provides a great platform for Ghana’s economic advancement, offering access to an expanded market of over 1.3 billion consumers across the African continent. As a nation renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and diverse economic sectors, Ghana stands poised to reap substantial gains from the AfCFTA,” he added.

However, Alhaji Abdel-Rahman said that the successful realization of these gains requires an unwavering commitment to transparent governance and the active involvement of all stakeholders.