The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in Ghana has introduced new guidelines aimed at strengthening the regulation, supervision, and support of non-profit organisations (NPOs) in the country. The documents were launched on September 18, 2026, under the theme "A Renewed Path for the Non-Profit Organisations' Sector." This initiative brought together representatives from government institutions, non-profit organisations, development partners, and other stakeholders to discuss measures to improve governance and regulation within the sector.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, described the launch as an important step towards building a stronger, credible, and sustainable non-profit sector. She emphasized that effective regulation, transparency, accountability, and collaboration are essential to maintaining public confidence in organisations operating within the sector. Dr. Lartey noted that NPOs play a crucial role in national development by supporting communities, providing essential services, and responding to the needs of underserved populations.
Dr. Lartey stressed that the growing role of NPOs also makes responsible governance and appropriate safeguards necessary to protect legitimate organisations and their activities from abuse or misuse. She called for a risk-based and proportionate regulatory approach that considers the different sizes, activities, and operating environments of NPOs. The Minister cautioned against creating unnecessary regulatory burdens for legitimate organisations and urged regulators and other relevant institutions to ensure that compliance measures remain appropriate to the nature and operations of the organisations involved.
The newly launched documents provide practical guidance on key areas of the sector, including the registration and licensing of NPOs, compliance monitoring, supervision, post-registration services, and collaboration with relevant institutions. The launch also featured an overview of the new documents, a briefing on the Sectoral Terrorist Financing National Risk Assessment (TF-NRA), and an update on the Non-Profit Organisations Bill, 2026.
Several stakeholders expressed support for the new framework and highlighted the importance of continued cooperation in ensuring that the reforms achieve their intended objectives. These stakeholders included the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Albert Kwadwo Twum Boafo; Team Lead of Serious and Organised Crime – Ghana (SOC-G), Linda Ofori-Kwarfo; and GIZ Country Representative, Nils Fürköther, among others.
The stakeholders emphasized the need for institutional capacity building, transparency, accountability, and sustained information sharing as the new regulatory framework is implemented. They also called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, regulators, development partners, and NPOs, particularly in the areas of capacity building and information sharing, to support the effective implementation of the new framework.
The event concluded with the official launch of the policy and operational documents, followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NPO Secretariat and key partners. The agreement is expected to strengthen collaboration among the institutions involved and support efforts to improve governance, oversight, and effective regulation of Ghana's non-profit sector.
Key points
- The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has launched new policy documents to regulate and support non-profit organisations in Ghana.
- The new guidelines aim to strengthen regulation, supervision, and support of NPOs in the country.
- The launch featured an overview of the new documents, a briefing on the Sectoral Terrorist Financing National Risk Assessment, and an update on the Non-Profit Organisations Bill, 2026.
