The Politics of Poverty Reduction in Ghana: The Case of the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metropolitan District of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly

Abstract

Urban poverty in Ghana is an emerging phenomenon which is gradually gaining much attention as the focus has always been on rural poverty. The poor in urban areas experience low incomes, insufficient infrastructure and social services, living in slums, etc. which hinder their progress. This case study of urban poverty is on the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metropolitan District (AKSD) of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), which is an urban area that has experienced urban poverty over the years. Even though several poverty reduction strategies have been implemented in Ghana since independence the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme is among the few initiatives that have lived up to expectation. Using the AKSD as a case study, the thesis examined the LEAP programme as a poverty reduction strategy and its impact on the lives of the residents in an urban slum area. Using the qualitative research method, data (Focus Group Discussion, Interviews, Documents and Observations) were compiled and analyzed. Purposive sampling was used to identify respondents. The respondents for the study included both beneficiaries and officers of the LEAP programme. The study found that there has been an increase in the consumption of basic needs such as food, health care, education, etc. in the AKSD as a result of the LEAP programme. It recommended, amongst others that government should broaden the benefit package of the programme to include cash and in-kind benefits.