Ghana Institute of Planning elevates Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama, two others

The Ghana Institute of Planning (GIP) elevated Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama to the "Fellow" category of the institute during its induction dinner on Friday, November 17, 2023, at the Koforidua Technical University.

Pln. Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah and Pln. William Hagan Amoah were also promoted into this prestigious class.

A Fellow of a professional body is a person who has made a significant contribution to national development over the years. GIP equates its "Fellow" class to that of an associate professor in academia.

Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama was the Former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development from 2017 to 2021 and serves as Ghana's Ambassador to the United States of America. She was awarded for her role in deepening decentralized planning and as a role model for female professionals, especially planners.

Pln. Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, one of the two other individuals honoured, is the head of the Management and Technical Services Department of Local Government Service. Dr. Smock Amoah was elevated for her numerous contributions to the profession such as review of Planning programmes offered by various universities in the country, in addition to her inspirational role for her colleague female planners.

Pln. William Hagan Amoah is a veteran in the planning industry and has made many contributions mainly in the arena of decentralized fiscal management.

GIP is the body that regulates professional planning, promotes planning education and advocates for planning. According to records at the Office of Registrar of Companies (ORC), it is the first professional body to be registered under the laws of Ghana. Its membership network is spread across every facet of the national system and the globe.

At the induction ceremony, the Institute admitted 21 corporate members (professional members) and enrolled 136 persons into its trainee membership category. It also issued certificates to 46 deserving students studying planning programmes at various universities in the countries.

The occasion was the concluding session of a two-day parked annual conference and general meeting of the institute.