The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, has emphasised that sustainable peace is essential to unlocking Northern Ghana’s development potential.

Speaking at the Northern Ghana Peace Conference in Tamale on 26 October 2026, she stressed that lasting peace must provide communities with the security and confidence to pursue their livelihoods and development aspirations.

“This part of Ghana must not be defined by deprivation when it possesses so much capacity to create prosperity,” she said.

Dr Amoah noted that conflict disrupts farming, education, trade and public services, undermining development gains and deepening existing inequalities.

Citing Ghana Statistical Service data, she noted that multidimensional poverty rates in the North East and Savannah regions exceeded 50 per cent in the third quarter of 2025. She highlighted opportunities in agriculture, livestock production and value chains for shea butter, groundnuts and cereals. She stressed that improved processing, storage and market access were needed to boost incomes and create employment.

Dr Amoah outlined five priorities for sustainable peace: credible, accessible and impartial justice; effective conflict prevention; responsible leadership and accountability; inclusive participation; and equitable access to development opportunities.

She emphasised that disputes over land, succession and natural resources must be resolved fairly and promptly to prevent tensions from escalating into violence.

She urged participants to submit prioritised, evidence-based recommendations that identify the actions required, the institutions responsible, the resources needed and measures for tracking progress.

The two-day conference, held from 26 to 27 October 2026 in Tamale, was organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Parliamentary Northern Caucus, the National Peace Council and the Northern Development Authority. Discussions centred on strengthening inclusive governance, addressing land-related disputes and promoting social cohesion as pathways to sustainable peace and resilient communities in Northern Ghana.