News
FSD Africa, others launch Green Project Preparation Facility to unlock investment in climate infrastructure in Ghana
FSD Africa, the British High Commission, and the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) have launched a Green Project Preparation Facility (PPF).
PPF is a platform designed to bridge Ghana’s infrastructure financing gap by preparing climate-aligned projects for investment.
The Facility was formally launched on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra.
The PPF, initially capitalised with a commitment of £5m from UK Government, was first announced during President John Dramani Mahama’s visit to the United Kingdom as part of the UK–Ghana Growth Partnership.
The facility will be hosted and managed by FSD Africa, in partnership with GIIF. It is anticipated that the PPF will grow in size, with support from other development partners in due course.
The PPF seeks to build a robust investible pipeline of green infrastructure projects, reduce development risk and time to financial close, and mobilise private capital while strengthening national delivery systems.
Speaking at the launch, Mark Napier, CEO of FSD Africa, said it was a pivotal step for Ghana’s climate finance ecosystem.
He said, “We are privileged to extend our collaboration with Ghana by hosting the Green Project Preparation Facility. We hope that the PPF will prove instrumental in crowding domestic private capital into a series of important projects that will add value to the economy and boost Ghana’s climate resilience. We look forward to the partnership with GIIF on this highly impactful initiative.”
According to him the PPF is open to both public and private sector project developers working on climate-aligned infrastructure in Ghana.
He added that the projects will be assessed on the basis of their climate impact, financial viability and potential to attract investment, and are expected to cover a range of priority sectors, including renewable energy, waste and water management, urban infrastructure, transport, housing and social infrastructure.
The Presidential Advisor for the government’s flagship 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, Gossie Tanoh, underscored the facility’s significance in solving a critical bottleneck that has long plagued Ghana’s green ambitions.
He noted that “The hardest step in our work is taking a good quality idea and getting it to the point where international and domestic private capital can invest in it, this is where most projects and markets lose time or need to wait. Disability studies are incomplete, climate risk assessments are missing or out of date, environmental and social safeguards are not yet being put in place, the financial and legal structure of the concept is not ready, and project preparation work is not done properly.”
The facility, he explained, is designed to solve this teething problem.” It will cover feasibility studies, climate risk assessments, environmental and social safeguards, and the legal and financial structuring required before projects can be financed. “It turns good project ideas into projects that can actually be funded.”
Mr. Nana Dwemoh Benneh, Chief Executive Officer of the GIIF, highlighted the significance of the new Facility for Ghana’s broader climate investment agenda.
According to him, “by strengthening project preparation capabilities across both the public and private sectors, the facility has the potential to unlock much-needed climate and infrastructure finance, crowd in private capital, and accelerate Ghana’s transition towards a more resilient, low-carbon, and sustainable economy.”
The British High Commissioner to Ghana reaffirmed the UK’s long-standing commitment to supporting Ghana’s economic development, emphasising that climate-resilient infrastructure is central to shared prosperity.
Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner, Christian Rogg, the
Deputy British High Commissioner to Ghana Ms. Terri Sarch said, “The UK–Ghana partnership is about turning shared ambitions into real results.”
She added that “Through the Green Project Preparation Facility, we are delighted to be partnering with FSD Africa and the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) to turn strong Ghanaian ideas into investable projects. Further, the PPF will help unlock much needed finance toward climate-resilient infrastructure, improving Ghana’s ability to tackle increasing challenges posed by climate change.”
Ghana, in common with many of its West African neighbours and global peers, faces intensifying climate impacts. Shifting rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and increased flood frequency place growing pressures on urban infrastructure, energy systems and rural livelihoods.
Around a third of Ghana’s electricity generation relies on hydropower, directly exposed to drought and erratic rainfall, while over 40 per cent of the workforce depends on climate-sensitive agriculture.
Ghana’s exposure to these shocks makes investment in climate-resilient infrastructure an immediate development priority.
FSD Africa is a specialist development agency working to make finance work for Africa’s future. Headquartered in Nairobi, they operate across more than thirty African countries through a range of funds, institutions, and projects.
The PPF will be hosted and managed by FSD Africa, in partnership with the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the commencement of enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523), warning institutions that fail to comply with the new requirements of possible fines of up to 2,000 penalty units.
The Authority says it will deploy a Biometric Verification Implementation Task Force to inspect institutions and ensure they comply with the regulations, following the expiration of a three-month grace period granted to businesses and public institutions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026, the NIA’s Corporate Affairs representative, William Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, said the Authority had completed its public education and stakeholder engagement activities and was now moving into the enforcement and compliance monitoring phase.
He explained that the regulations require institutions that verify the identities of customers or applicants as part of their operations to use the NIA’s approved biometric verification platform instead of relying solely on visual inspection of the Ghana Card.
Under the new rules, institutions are prohibited from photocopying, scanning or keeping copies of the Ghana Card for identity verification purposes.
Mr Darlas stressed that simply collecting a customer’s Ghana Card, looking at the photograph and comparing it with the person presenting it would no longer be accepted as a valid method of identity verification.
He, however, clarified that the Ghana Card remains the country’s official national identity document and that citizens are not required to register for a new card or capture their biometrics again under the new regulations.
He said the new system is intended to reduce identity fraud, impersonation and other crimes by ensuring that the person presenting the Ghana Card is the actual owner.
According to him, the biometric verification process will rely on information already captured during Ghana Card registration, including fingerprints, iris details and facial features stored in the card’s chip.
Mr Darlas warned institutions against using third-party companies or individuals to access the NIA’s identity verification platform, insisting that the Authority does not work with intermediaries.
He said institutions seeking access to the National Identity Register must deal directly with the NIA and complete its official onboarding process.
The process requires institutions to prove that they are legally registered companies in Ghana, obtain certification from the Data Protection Commission and work with the NIA’s technical team to establish the necessary connection to its platform.
He further cautioned institutions already connected to the platform against subletting their access to other businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
He disclosed that the Authority had received reports of some institutions providing their verification services to other businesses without the NIA’s approval and warned that those involved would face legal action.
Mr Darlas said organisations that fail to comply with L.I. 2523 could face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units, depending on the nature of the offence.
He explained that the NIA does not have the authority to impose the fines directly but would take offenders to court for the appropriate punishment.
He indicated that Institutions found guilty could also face additional administrative measures, including being barred from accessing the NIA’s verification platform in the future.
The NIA representative further clarified that the new regulations do not prohibit all institutions from physically using the Ghana Card during transactions.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited, Nana Kwesi Boatey, has revealed how he transformed a major overstaffing challenge into a success story through the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, November 2, Mr. Boatey disclosed that when he assumed office in February 2025, and inherited a bloated workforce of 250 employees doing work that could be efficiently handled by 150 people, a situation that created serious liquidity challenges for the state-owned company.
Instead of resorting to downsizing, he adopted an innovative approach by instituting a 24-hour operational system.
Under the new system, staff were redistributed across three shifts: 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m.
This not only ensured optimal use of labour but also maximized machine utilization and improved overall output.
According to him, the single move redefined the productivity culture within the company, reinforcing discipline, accountability, and efficiency.
The Ghana Publishing Company’s turnaround is being cited as a practical example of how the 24-Hour Economy policy can drive growth without job losses.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
