The Western Region’s critical infrastructure, coastline and border with Côte d’Ivoire make it central to Ghana’s evolving national security concerns, Technical and Intelligence Advisor to the National Security Coordinator, Dr Muhammad Baako, has said.
He said the region’s oil and gas facilities, power plants, Port of Takoradi, railway, airport and naval installations could expose Ghana to threats with nationwide consequences if not properly anticipated.
Dr Baako was speaking in Takoradi on Thursday, October 8 at a stakeholder engagement on the review of Ghana’s 2020 National Security Strategy.
The consultations are aimed at shaping a new National Security Strategy for 2026–2030.
Dr Baako said the strategy was being reviewed through regional consultations to ensure it reflects realities on the ground.
“A strategy drafted in Accra can be analytically sound and still be wrong in the particular,” he said.
He said communities often have information on developments at landing beaches, maritime routes and border crossings that may not be captured in national security assessments.
Dr Baako said critical facilities in the Western Region should be treated as part of Ghana’s national security architecture, not simply commercial assets.
He cited Aboadze and Atuabo, warning that sabotage, cyberattacks, organised crime or serious unrest could disrupt power supply, national revenue and economic activity across the country.
The Gulf of Guinea, he said, had become an increasingly important security concern, with piracy, ransom attacks, illegal boarding of vessels and illegal fishing requiring sustained attention.
He called for greater involvement of fishing communities and other maritime stakeholders in securing Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Dr Baako also warned that commercial routes, informal pathways, river crossings and the coastline could potentially be exploited for the movement of money, materials and personnel linked to extremist activities.
“Border security in this region is a maritime question and a land question in the same breath,” he said.
Coastal erosion and changing fish stocks are also creating security pressures, Dr Baako said.
He cited Axim, Shama and Lower Axim, where coastal erosion has affected homes, schools and graves, while rising fishing costs and changing fish stocks are putting pressure on coastal livelihoods.
He said such challenges showed why national security must extend beyond conventional military and law-enforcement concerns.
Dr Baako noted the proposed 2026–2030 strategy would broaden Ghana’s security focus to include citizens, livelihoods and communities.
It gives greater attention to food and water security, community cohesion, cyber threats, illegal mining, maritime security and critical national infrastructure.
The strategy also seeks to strengthen prevention and early warning rather than relying mainly on responses after threats emerge.
Dr Baako said traditional authorities, local assemblies, faith-based organisations, fishing groups, women and youth organisations, the media and the private sector all have roles to play.
Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson called for closer coordination among security agencies, traditional authorities, local authorities and communities.
He said the region’s strategic location, coastline, border and concentration of economic infrastructure made peace and stability essential to Ghana’s development.
“National security is a shared responsibility,” Nelson noted.
He said the Western Regional Security Council and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Security Committees remained important platforms for coordination, information sharing and timely responses.
Mr Nelson urged traditional authorities and communities to strengthen communication with security institutions, saying local knowledge could help identify threats before they escalate.
He identified illegal mining, land and chieftaincy disputes, community tensions, border and coastal activities, environmental degradation and organised crime among issues requiring continued attention.
He said the Western Region’s experience would provide important input into the review of Ghana’s national security framework.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
