Local Economic Acceleration through Partnerships (LEAP) is a Joint Venture of the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and Cities Alliance. The project aims to support global and national dialogues addressing the obstacles to investment in rapidly growing cities by creating avenues for public-private partnerships. The project was implemented in four secondary cities of which two were in Ghana (Cape Coast and Agona Swedru) and two were in Uganda (Mbale and Gulu) in close collaboration with local and national governments in the two countries.

The overarching objectives of the project are to:

• Form partnerships that foster better understanding and effective action towards promoting equitable access to city level public goods and urban infrastructure (e.g. roads, transport, health, education and open spaces) and positively impact the growth trajectory for the city: reducing inequalities, enabling job creation and sustainably increasing productivity.

• Raise awareness, share knowledge and improve the quality of policy advice and dialogue on how to enable widespread access to public goods, services, and urban infrastructure for equitable economic growth in cities.

A key output of the LEAP project was the production of a report on “National Enablers for Infrastructure Investment and Economic Development in Secondary Cities in Ghana and Uganda”. Produced by UNCDF and in collaboration with Cities Alliance, the report explores how national governments in developing countries can enable infrastructure financing and local economic development. Various options for financing infrastructure in Ghana and Uganda, are reviewed, with the objective of providing recommendations for the best options for the two countries.

Please consult the Brochure for more information.