Find Civil Society expertise in Ghana

Civil society in Ghana is active in a number of areas including agriculture, health, education and gender development. Many NGOs are supported through the Department for International Development (DFID), as well as UK supermarket chains.

Most of Ghana’s NGOs work collectively through umbrella bodies such as The Ghana Association of Private Voluntary Organizations in Development (GAPVOD) and the Inter-NGO Consortium. NGOs in such bodies share information and co-operate on issues and projects while maintaining their overall independence. Prominent international NGOs operating in the country include ActionAid, World Vision and Oxfam.

To be formally recognised as NGOs, organisations must register with the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment in accordance with Article 14 of the Ghana Companies Code 1963 (Act 179). By law, NGOs must submit their annual reports and statement of accounts to the Social Welfare Department. Presently there are around 300,000 NGOs in the country.

In addition, Ghana’s national trade union centre, the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), which hosts 17 national unions, operates over the 10 regions of Ghana and is a member of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) at an international level.

Share