Our Team – President's SDGs Advisory Unit Ghana

Senior Advisor to the President on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC)

Dr. Nii Moi Thompson is a distinguished economist with over 30 years’ leadership and technical experience spanning work in the United States, Ghana, and the United Nations, among others. His areas of expertise include public sector economics; economic growth and employment creation; development planning; local economic development (LED), and productivity (with specific interest in labour and multi-factor productivity as the surest path to transforming post-colonial economies).

As economic advisor to President John Mahama from 2014 to 2017, he led Ghana’s team for the preparation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063. In 2016, he presented Ghana’s first progress report on the SDGs at the United Nations in New York, while serving on the High-Level Committee on the Sustainable Development Goals in Ghana. Simultaneously, he worked as director-general of the National Development Planning Commission over the same period. As director-general, he led the preparation of the 40-Year National Development Plan (2018-2057), which ensured that the SDGs, the AU’s Agenda 2063 and other international and national obligations were adequately incorporated into Ghana’s national development agenda.

After a three-year stint with the United Nations in South Africa, he was appointed in February 2025 by President Mahama in his second term to serve as his senior advisor on the SDGs as well as the chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC). From the SDGs Advisory Unit of the Presidency, he heads a team of dedicated staff drawn from the Unit and NDPC. One of his first tasks upon assuming office as advisor on the SDGs was to ensure the timely completion of Ghana’s Sustainable Ocean Plan (SOP) under the High-Level Panel on a Sustainable Ocean Economy, of which President Mahama is a member. The SOP was presented at the 18-member Panel’s Leaders’ Meeting on the sidelines of the UN’s General Assembly in New York in September 2025. In November 2025, the SOP was presented at COP 30 in Belem, Brazil, as Ghana’s contribution to the ocean-climate nexus agenda of the Panel.

Among other things, he has also held the following positions:

• Senior economist, Bureau of Fiscal and Economic Analysis, New York City

• Senior economist/acting deputy resident representative, UNDP, Pretoria South Africa

• Policy advisor, Government of Sierra Leone, ILO, Freetown, Sierra Leone

• Technical advisor/consultant, Office of the Prime Minister, Ethiopia

• Consultant, extractives and economic development in Liberia (UNDP)

• Consultant, export growth and diversification in Liberia (World Bank)

• Chief technical advisor on productivity ecosystems, ILO, Pretoria, South Africa

Memberships of boards and public entities in Ghana:

• Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

• National Council of Tertiary Education

• Ghana Export Promotion Centre

• Member, Economic Management Team

• Member, Presidential Advisory Group on the Economy

• Member, Governing Council, Institute for Local Government Studies

• Member, Government of Ghana negotiation team with the IMF (2015)

• Central Tender Review Board, Ministry of Finance

• NDPC-Ministry of Finance Committee on Budget Approvals for MDAs

• High-level national committee on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• Committee to integrate SDGs (and AU’s Agenda 2063) into Ghana’s national

Dr. Thompson holds a PhD in Development Economics and Public Policy from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, with a master’s degree in international economics from the State University of New York (Albany), and a B.A. in economics (magna cum laude) from the City University of New York (Brooklyn College).

He’s a member of the American Economic Association.

The Advisory Team

Wilhelmina Awo Wadzah

Manager, Finance and Administration

Holds BA, Public Administration and Information Studies, University of Ghana Legon.
Administration and project management professional with over 26 years’ experience in private and public sectors. Skilled in institutional administration, human resources, and strategic planning, with a proven track record in leading administrative functions across multiple public/private sector institutions.

Eyram Agbemava

Technical Advisor

A development professional with over two decades of experience in public policy, governance, and programme delivery across Africa, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. Currently works to align national priorities with the Sustainable Development Goals, translating complex policy frameworks into concrete action on economic transformation, gender equality, governance reforms and climate resilience. Provides strategic support to Ghana’s Sherpa on the High-level Ocean panel.

Holds an Executive Master’s in International Development Policies and Practices from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Switzerland), an M.A. in International Affairs, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Ghana, complemented by professional certifications in communications and basic accounting from the American Management Association.

Priscilla Santuo-Ocran

Project Manager

Brings extensive experience in public administration, social policy, and program coordination. Holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Warwick and practiced as a Social Worker for over 15 years across several local authorities in the United Kingdom – led child protection investigations, prepared court reports, and managed complex cases. Previously provided executive support to the Office of the First Lady. Expertise spans stakeholder engagement, advocacy, governance, and cross-sector collaboration. Combines strategic leadership with strong policy and community development experience in advancing national and institutional objectives.

Gideon Agbanu

Chief Information Officer

A digital transformation expert with over 23 years of experience driving innovation for governments, NGOs, and Fortune 500 companies. Focused on bridging the gap between data-driven insights and high-impact sustainable development reforms.

Holds an MSc. in Project Management, University of Liverpool, UK, and a BSc. Computer Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), and Certified Blockchain Expert.

Member of Project Management Institute(PMI) and Information Systems Audit and Control Association(ISACA)

The Planning Team

Patience Ampomah

Senior Planning Analyst

A seasoned development professional with over a decade of experience in policy development, planning, and monitoring & evaluation. Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in French, Geography, and Resource Development from the University of Ghana, and a Master of Arts in International Studies (International Commerce) from Korea University, South Korea.

Senior Planning Analyst at the National Development Planning Commission, plays a key role in coordinating and implementing monitoring and evaluation activities across national and subnational levels. Expertise spans monitoring & evaluation, project management, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and development planning.

Serves as Ghana’s National Coordinator for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, driving alignment between national priorities and global and continental development goals. Remains committed to pursuing results that advance inclusive growth, strengthen accountability, and ensure that development efforts deliver meaningful impact.

Michael Kissi Boateng

Development Planning Specialist

A Development Planning Specialist with strong expertise in sustainable development policy coordination, results-based monitoring, and national planning systems. A member of the Ghana Institute of Planning (GIP) and holds an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and BA in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Ghana.

Contributes to Ghana’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, supporting the preparation of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) and thematic SDG progress reports while promoting alignment between national, continental, and global development frameworks.

Focuses on priority SDG areas including governance (SDG 16), economic growth and employment (SDG 8), inequality reduction (SDG 10), human capital development (SDGs 3 and 4), and sustainable cities (SDG 11).

Nii-Odoi Odotei

Principal Planning Analyst

A Principal Planning Analyst at Ghana’s National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) with over a decade of experience in development policy. Holds an MSc. in Sociology and Social Anthropology from the University of Zimbabwe and a Master’s in Public Management and Policy Analysis from the International University of Japan. Expertise spans social protection, health, food systems, and nutrition security.

Christopher Papa Kojo Conduah

Senior Planning Analyst

Development planner with focus on international trade, economic cooperation, macroeconomic modelling, and forecasting. Holds a BSc in Development Planning and an MA in International Trade and Economic Cooperation.