Minority Caucus Meets World Bank MD, Pushes for Equitable Capacity-Building and Economic Reforms

The Minority Caucus in Ghana’s Parliament has called for equitable access to the World Bank’s parliamentary capacity-building programme, deeper investment in youth employment and vocational education, and stronger technical support for parliamentary fiscal oversight. The call was made during a meeting with Mr. Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group, at Parliament House in Accra.

The meeting, hosted by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Ahiafor Bernard, brought together several members of the Minority Caucus, including  Hon. Jerry Ahmed Shaib, MP for Weija-Gbawe Constituency and Second Deputy Minority Whip; Hon. Michael Okyere Baafi, MP for New Juaben South Constituency; Hon. Kingsley Nyarko, MP for Kwadaso; Hon. Samuel Awuku, MP for Akuapem North Constituency and Hon. Nana Osei-Adjei, MP for New Juaben North.

The Minority Caucus emphasized the need for the World Bank to ensure that its capacity-building programme is equitable and inclusive, taking into account the Minority’s limited numbers in Parliament. They also called for the programme’s expansion to include additional committees and parliamentary technical staff, arguing that technical staff are crucial to sustained legislative effectiveness.

“With the Minority holding 87 of 276 seats, making this the first super-majority Parliament in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, a distribution ratio based purely on parliamentary numbers would systematically disadvantage the Minority,” the Minority Leader, Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, stated.

The Minority also raised concerns about youth unemployment, citing the recent security services recruitment exercise, which attracted over 506,000 applicants. They called for a fundamental reorientation of national education policy to prioritize vocational training and apprenticeships, citing the German model as an example.

“The situation is a national emergency demanding decisive policy correction,” Hon. Afenyo-Markin said, adding that making vocational training prestigious, through dedicated incentives and a decisive shift in public perception, must now be treated as a matter of strategic priority.

On fiscal oversight, the Minority called for deeper technical support to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and Finance Committee, arguing that meaningful oversight requires specialized expertise and modern analytical capability. They also suggested that the World Bank explore the use of artificial intelligence as a tool for parliamentary accountability.

The Minority also expressed concerns about the lack of a coherent private sector development framework from the current administration, calling on the World Bank to encourage the government to develop a clear and actionable policy. They also called for greater investment in Ghana’s agricultural sector, citing its potential as a structural engine of job creation.

In response, Mr. Donohoe reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to deepening its engagement with the Parliament of Ghana and ensuring that the institution’s capacity to hold government accountable is matched by the knowledge resources and technical tools to do so effectively. He outlined a World Bank investment programme in Ghana’s public and private sectors currently valued at just over $3 billion, spanning education, transport, and the energy sector.

Mr. Donohoe also confirmed that the Bank would shortly publish new research on growth and job creation in Ghana, accompanied by a dedicated report on agriculture and food security, with an emphasis on irrigation, transport connectivity, and skills training as mechanisms for expanding the sector’s contribution to employment.

The Minority Caucus has called on the World Bank’s Ghana Country Office to translate the discussions into concrete, time-bound commitments and establish a direct and structured communication channel with Parliament on the status of Bank-financed projects across constituencies.

The meeting was hailed as a significant step towards promoting transparency and accountability in Ghana’s governance, with the Minority Caucus expressing its appreciation to the First Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahiafor Bernard, for hosting the engagement.