Urbanization and Ghana's new Industrialization Drive in Cities & Towns: A Catalyst for implementing the New Urban Agenda and Achieving SDG (Agenda) 2030

The event aims at promoting the Government of Ghana's flagship programme and strategy for addressing economic growth, poverty reduction and job creation through industrialization in Districts (Cities and Towns); the One District, One Factory Programme.

The Government of Ghana under the leadership of the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is committed to sustainable urban development for social inclusion, ending poverty towards achieving inclusive urban prosperity and creating opportunities for all.

The Government recognizes that Ghana is rapidly urbanizing and her Local Authorities classified as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) hold huge potentials for economic growth through industrialization. This commitment and approach aligns directly with the SDG 9 and the New Urban Agenda's objective of achieving sustainable urban development for social inclusion and ending poverty. The event therefore seeks to present and share these strategies one of Ghana's flagship programmes towards achieving Agenda 2030 and implementing the New Urban Agenda.

The 'One District One Factory' programme is a flagship industrialization programme promised by the Government of Ghana aimed at building a factory in each of the 216 districts (Local Authorities) in the country, utilizing their comparative advantages in agriculture and other potentials to create jobs, improve local economies, increase financial autonomies of Local Authorities through revenue generation, increase investments in Districts and ultimately reduce poverty and improve standards of living in an inclusive manner. Thus far, the initiative has generated investments pledges and commitments to a tune of US$3billion as at June, 2017.

This Event intends to share with participants the massive successes of the initiative since inception and challenges. The event will also showcase how industrialization as a strategy utilizes the potentials of urbanization to deliver economic growth and improved services. Summarily the event will seek to address the following:

1. Industrialization (SDG 9) as key strategy for achieving the Agenda 2030 and the New Urban Agenda

2. Development of Partnerships as relevant for information sharing among countries towards delivering the SDGs

3. Government of Ghana's commitment to achieving the New Urban Agenda

Major Agreements will be signed between the GoG and Partners:

1. MoU with between the UN-Habitat and the One District Factory Secretariat making commitments to support the implementing of the New Urban Agenda through industrialization and poverty reduction in Ghana

2. MoUs between the One District Factory Secretariat and Potential Partners on supporting the success of the initiative in Ghana and replicating the model in other countries

3. MoU between the One District Factory Secretariat and the Ghana High Commission in Malaysia towards promoting the initiative as key strategy towards achieving SDGs 1, 8, 9 and 17.