Legal framework of NGOs : the registration challenges of NGOs in Ghana (a case study of NGOs operating in the greater Accra Region)

Abstract

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have rapidly expanded in most developing nations, particularly those in Africa, as a result of governments' and the private sector's inability to fulfil socio-economic development objectives. This has translated into heightened tensions between African states and NGOs with the perception that governments' sovereignty is being undermined and that official aid is being diverted to NGOs as such Governments across Africa are increasingly looking for measures to monitor and regulate NGO operations. Thus, this has seen an increase in the number of supervisory agencies for overseeing the NGO sector resulting in the duplication of the bureaucratic processes. This indicates a failure in the legal framework guiding NGO operations. The purpose of this research was to assess the legal framework of NGOs in Ghana focusing on the registration challenges of NGOs operating in the Greater Accra Region. This study was conducted along the tenets of qualitative research methods with data collected through interviews and analyzed thematically. The study established NGOs perspectives on the legal framework governing their operations in Ghana. Also, the study demonstrated that in their interactions with the legal framework, NGOs face the challenges of the annual renewal of the registration; lack of funds for registration; limited access to information and lack of government support which affects their operations. The study recommends that government and its agencies should centralize the registration process, as this would make the process less cumbersome for the NGOs