The Upper West Region’s proximity to Burkina Faso and growing security concerns along Ghana’s northern borders have come into focus as the National Security Council Secretariat engages regional stakeholders in a nationwide review of Ghana’s National Security Strategy.
Traditional authorities, heads of security agencies and other stakeholders in the region have been consulted to provide regional perspectives on emerging security threats, vulnerabilities and other concerns to inform the revision of the 2020 National Security Strategy (NSS).
The engagement, held in Wa on November 6, 2026, forms part of a nationwide consultation exercise covering all 16 regions, aimed at developing a revised strategy that responds to Ghana’s evolving security environment.
The review comes amid growing security concerns in the Sahel region, alongside domestic threats including illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), intercommunal conflicts, chieftaincy disputes, farmer-herder tensions and emerging technology-related and cybersecurity threats.
Addressing participants, the Director of Legal and Compliance at the National Security Council Secretariat, George Loh, called for frank and objective contributions to ensure the revised strategy reflects the security concerns of communities across the country.
He said the Secretariat had engaged stakeholders as representatives of the wider citizenry and expected them to make meaningful contributions to the review.
“We have come to you as representatives of the larger citizenry to dialogue on matters of security. It is our hope that you will all dispassionately contribute to this discussion,” Mr Loh said.
The Upper West Regional Minister, represented by the Chief Director of the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, Shaiku Mumuni Damma, said the region’s geographical location made the consultation particularly important.
He noted that the region’s proximity to neighbouring countries, especially Burkina Faso, presented unique security considerations requiring sustained vigilance and proactive responses.
“For us in the Upper West Region, the importance of this engagement cannot be overstated. Our geographical location and proximity to neighbouring countries, particularly Burkina Faso, present unique security considerations that require constant vigilance and proactive responses,” Mr Damma said.
The National Security Council Secretariat says the consultations are intended to capture regional perspectives on the threats and vulnerabilities confronting Ghana and use them to shape a forward-looking national security framework.
The revision of the 2020 strategy is also a statutory requirement, with the nationwide consultations expected to help ensure that the country’s security priorities reflect changing regional and domestic realities.
Source: www.kumasimail.com/Saeed Fatawu
