The Western Region’s oil and gas facilities, coastline, border with Cote d’Ivoire and major transport links place it at the centre of Ghana’s changing national security concerns, Dr Muhammad Baako has said.
The Technical and Intelligence Advisor to the National Security Coordinator warned that threats to the region’s critical infrastructure could have consequences across the country.
Speaking in Takoradi on Thursday, October 8, during a stakeholder consultation on the review of Ghana’s 2020 National Security Strategy, Dr Baako said the process would help shape a new strategy for 2026–2030.
He said regional consultations were intended to ensure the policy reflected conditions and risks identified by communities.
“A strategy drafted in Accra can be analytically sound and still be wrong in the particular,” he said.
Dr Baako said local residents often held information about landing beaches, maritime routes and border crossings that might not appear in national assessments.
He listed oil and gas installations, power plants, the Port of Takoradi, railways, the airport and naval facilities as part of Ghana’s national security infrastructure, rather than assets that should be viewed only in commercial terms.
He specifically mentioned Aboadze and Atuabo, warning that sabotage, cyberattacks, organised crime or serious unrest could affect electricity supplies, national revenue and economic activity throughout Ghana.
Maritime and coastal pressures
Dr Baako said the Gulf of Guinea was becoming an increasingly important security concern because of piracy, ransom attacks, illegal boarding of vessels and illegal fishing.
He called for fishing communities and other maritime stakeholders to play a greater role in protecting Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Commercial routes, informal paths, river crossings and the coastline could also be used to move money, materials and people connected to extremist activity, he warned.
“Border security in this region is a maritime question and a land question in the same breath,” he said.
He added that coastal erosion and changing fish stocks were increasing pressure on communities. In Axim, Shama and Lower Axim, erosion had affected homes, schools and graves, while higher fishing costs and depleted or changing fish stocks were threatening coastal livelihoods.
Those issues, he said, demonstrated why national security should cover more than conventional military and law-enforcement threats.
The proposed 2026–2030 strategy will place greater emphasis on citizens, livelihoods and communities, as well as food and water security, community cohesion, cyber threats, illegal mining, maritime security and critical national infrastructure.
It will also prioritise prevention and early warning instead of relying mainly on action after threats have emerged.
Dr Baako said traditional authorities, local assemblies, faith-based organisations, fishing groups, women’s and youth organisations, the media and the private sector all had a role in the strategy.
Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson called for stronger cooperation between security agencies, traditional and local authorities and communities.
He said the region’s location, coastline, border and concentration of economic infrastructure made stability vital to Ghana’s development.
“National security is a shared responsibility,” Nelson said.
He identified the Western Regional Security Council and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Security Committees as key forums for coordination, information sharing and rapid responses.
Nelson urged traditional authorities and communities to maintain close communication with security institutions, saying local knowledge could help detect threats early.
He listed illegal mining, land and chieftaincy disputes, community tensions, border and coastal activity, environmental degradation and organised crime among the issues requiring continued attention.
He said the Western Region’s experience would make an important contribution to the review of Ghana’s national security framework.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
