By Nasara Rahama Yakubu, GNA
Tamale, Nov. 05, GNA – The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has held a regional stakeholder engagement in Tamale to solicit inputs towards the review of Ghana’s 2020 National Security Strategy (NSS).
The engagement aimed to gather views from stakeholders in the Northern Region on existing and emerging security threats, risks and vulnerabilities to inform the development of a revised strategy that reflects the country’s evolving security landscape and regional realities.
It also sought to strengthen stakeholder participation in national security policymaking, identify gaps in the current framework, and obtain recommendations on measures to address emerging security concerns.
The meeting formed part of a nationwide consultation being undertaken by the NSCS across all 16 regions to ensure that the revised strategy incorporates perspectives from communities and institutions throughout the country.
Participants included representatives of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, the Regional Security Council, security agencies, traditional authorities, religious organisations, civil society organisations, youth groups, educational institutions, farmers’ associations, transport unions and other interest groups.
Speaking at the opening session, Mr George Loh, Director of Legal at the NSCS, said the review was intended to ensure that national security policies reflected the experiences and concerns of people across the country rather than being shaped solely by perspectives from Accra.
He noted that Ghana launched its first National Security Strategy in 2020 to provide a comprehensive framework for identifying and addressing threats to the State and its citizens.
According to him, the review had become necessary due to changes in the domestic, regional and global security environment, including the growing threat of violent extremism in the Sahel, cross-border crime, illegal mining, cybercrime, inter-communal conflicts and climate-related security challenges.
Mr Loh said the exercise was also in line with the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026 (Act 1168), which provides for periodic reviews of the national security framework and introduces changes to the country’s security coordination architecture.
He described national security as a collective responsibility that required contributions from all segments of society and said the Secretariat was particularly interested in identifying security threats unique to the Northern region that might not have been adequately captured in the existing strategy.
Mr Loh urged participants to critically examine threats and proposed interventions outlined in the review document and offer recommendations on additional measures to strengthen the country’s security response.
He explained that the review sought to shift emphasis from merely responding to security threats after they occurred to identifying and preventing them before they escalated.
“We want to be able to identify the threat even before it starts. We want to be able to prevent it rather than respond to it,” he stated.
Mr Loh added that the engagement was purely consultative and that all contributions would be documented and submitted to the review team for consideration in developing the revised strategy.
Mr Ali Adolf John, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, commended the initiative, describing it as an important national exercise with far-reaching implications for the country’s future.
He urged stakeholders to make constructive contributions to enrich the review process and ensure the development of a comprehensive and responsive national security strategy.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Lydia Kukua Asamoah