Accra, Aug 11, GNA-Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), has officially commenced a 10-day intensive training programme on Risk Analysis and Intelligence Collection.
This initiative marks the operational rollout of the 48-month Strengthening and Harmonizing Integrated Border Management Frameworks and Technical (SHIFT) Project, a strategic collaborative effort aimed at modernising Ghana’s border security infrastructure.
Addressing officers at the opening ceremony in Accra, the Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Mr. Samuel Basintale Amadu, highlighted the indispensable role the Service played in safeguarding Ghana’s borders against rapidly changing transnational crimes and extremist movements.
He revealed that to decisively counter these contemporary threats, the GIS is actively transitioning into an intelligence-driven institution.
This shift prioritises professional data analysis, suspicious behaviour detection, and enhanced inter-agency collaboration.
According to him “Criminal networks today operate fluidly across multiple jurisdictions, leveraging advanced technology, forged documentation, cyber tools, and complex financial channels to facilitate their operations”.
“Additionally, terrorist groups and extremist elements continually exploit irregular migration routes and vulnerabilities within border systems to move across regions. These stark realities demand that the Ghana Immigration Service evolves into a fully intelligence-driven institution” he added.
The Comptroller-General was accompanied at the event by Madam Amala Obiokoye Nwalor, Head of Office for the ICMPD, the key partnering stakeholder of the SHIFT Project.
Madam Amala Obiokoye Nwalor highlighted the importance of the initiative: “Risk analysis is the backbone of intelligence-led border management. It is important for GIS officers to be trained because without the right skills, they cannot anticipate threats or respond effectively”.
She emphasised that the training is to ensure GIS remained, professional, and aligned with international standards.
The capacity-building programme has brought together 30 selected frontline officers drawn from various key entry and exit points across the country.
Over the 10-day period, participants will be introduced to advanced data technologies and modern risk assessment systems, equipping them with practical skills to conduct robust institutional risk analysis and detect security threats effectively.
The €7.3 million EU funded SHIFT project which is being implemented by the ICMPD is in response to the escalating security challenges in West Africa, where porous borders, the spillover of terrorism from the Sahel, transnational organized crimes among other issues contributed to border vulnerability and instability.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba