Dr Bako Mohammed, Technical and Intelligence Aide to the National Security Coordinator, said the exercise was intended to assess the country’s evolving security environment and obtain regional perspectives to inform the revised strategy.

He said the engagement formed part of a deliberate national effort to examine emerging security threats, understand their implications and determine appropriate responses, stressing that national security was no longer the exclusive preserve of security and intelligence agencies.

“National security is no longer an exclusive concern of security and intelligence agencies or something confined to men and women in uniform,” he said.

The security and intelligence expert explained that national security was fundamentally about creating conditions that enabled citizens to live peacefully, while schools, markets and communities thrived.

Dr Mohammed said Ghana’s security environment had changed significantly since the 2020 strategy was developed, citing the growing threat of violent extremism, transnational organised crime, arms and drug trafficking, communal disputes, cyber threats and the use of misinformation through social media to inflame public sentiment and undermine confidence in state institutions.

He said although Ghana’s democratic institutions and security services remained strong and professional, strategic responses must be grounded in the realities of communities across the country.

“What confronts, for example, a fishing community in the Volta Region may not necessarily be what confronts a farming community in the northern or northeastern parts of Ghana,” he said, stressing that the region’s security realities could not be fully understood from Accra.

Dr Mohammed therefore urged stakeholders to identify threats and vulnerabilities peculiar to the Volta Region, point out issues that might have been missed or underweighted in the draft strategy, and assess whether the proposed strategic responses were appropriate, practical and achievable.

The engagement brought together a broad representation of stakeholders, including representatives of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), youth associations, the Market Women Association, Social Welfare Department, National Youth Authority (NYA), disability groups and traditional authorities.

Also present were heads and representatives of the Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Revenue Authority (Customs Division) and Ghana Immigration Service, whose perspectives were expected to enrich discussions on the region’s security needs and vulnerabilities.

Togbega Kpangbatriku IV, the Paramount Chief of the Dodome Traditional Council, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that the inclusion of traditional authorities in the review was important because chiefs, as custodians of the land, had a better understanding of local security concerns, including border-related issues and their relationship with communities.

He said traditional authorities were well positioned to provide information on developments within their communities and help security agencies better understand local dynamics that might not be readily visible at the national level.

Dr Mohammed said the broad participation reflected the NSCS’s commitment to a whole-of-society approach to national security, involving security institutions, traditional authorities, local government, civil society organisations, women’s groups, youth associations, religious bodies, academic institutions, the private sector and individual citizens.

He explained that the Regional Stakeholder Engagements constituted a key component of the comprehensive review being undertaken across all 16 regions, with inputs expected to contribute to the preparation of a revised and forward-looking National Security Strategy.

According to background information from the NSCS, national security strategies were not static documents; and the strategies also required periodic review to remain responsive to changing domestic, regional and global security environments.

Ghana launched its first National Security Strategy in 2020 to provide a coherent framework for addressing security threats to the state and citizens. The NSCS said the current review was both a policy necessity and a statutory requirement under the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026 (Act 1168), which repealed the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2020 (Act 1030), and shortened the prescribed review period.

Mr James Gunu, Volta Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf at the engagement, welcomed participants and said the region was at a defining moment in contributing to Ghana’s peace, security and stability.

He said the Regional Security Council, working within the statutory security framework, had a critical role in maintaining law and order but emphasised that security was a shared national responsibility.

Mr Gunu said the evolving security landscape, from violent extremism and cyber threats to criminal and communal disputes, required a strategy that was robust and responsive to the unique realities of the Volta Region and Ghana as a whole.

He urged stakeholders to be candid about what was working and what was not, and to highlight vulnerabilities relating to border security, land disputes, youth unemployment, environmental insecurity and other emerging community concerns.

“Our communities are the first line of defence. Your presence here today signifies that you are partners in this mission,” he said.

Mr Gunu said the contributions would help ensure that the revised National Security Strategy was not merely an “Accra document” but a national framework that reflected the needs and security realities of citizens across the country.

He encouraged participants to engage openly and honestly, saying their experiences and observations would help bridge the gap between policies that looked good on paper and strategies capable of addressing real security challenges.