‘Weak institutions in Africa has deepened inequality gaps’

A Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on the post 2015 Development Agenda, Amina Mohammed, said weak institutions in many African countries has deepened inequality gaps on the continent.

She says though countries might be committed to ensuring that each of its citizens get a fair share of opportunities, institutions meant to ensure this can derail this if they are not properly equipped to do their work.

Madam Mohammed was speaking at the Pan African conference on tackling inequalities in Accra.

The Accra meeting is looking at how structural transformation efforts can be used to address inequality challenges on the continent.

The Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on the post 2015 Development Agenda who is also assistant Secretary General of the UN, Amina Mohammed said all development efforts should be done with an aim of benefitting all segments of society.

She said many African countries are still finding their feet as a state and so strong institutions will ensure that the development drive benefits all.

The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur who was a panelist at the forum said empowering women and the vulnerable in society is the way forward in bridging the inequality gap.

She said an established institution to cater for that segment of society makes the problem half solved though they might have their setbacks.

Mrs. Lithur said Ghana’s media pluralisation Vis-a- Vis freedom of speech and the patronage of social media by a large number of its citizens has propelled citizen participation in governance.