Ghana risks becoming conduit for terrorist networks – Oppong Nkrumah

Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has warned that Ghana faces a growing risk of becoming a conduit for terrorist activities if critical internal security vulnerabilities are not tackled urgently.

Speaking at a public dialogue on Fighting Terrorism in the Middle East and Africa organised by the Centre for Policy Scrutiny (CPS) on Tuesday, December 2, the former Information Minister pointed to a troubling combination of factors that could make Ghana a soft target for extremist infiltration.

He revealed that the circulation of more than two million small arms, coupled with the country’s porous land borders and persistent corruption, has created fertile ground for terrorist networks to exploit.

According to him, intelligence assessments show that extremist groups already operating across parts of West Africa could take advantage of these weaknesses if swift, coordinated action is not taken.

“Our analysts are warning that Ghana risks becoming a conduit for extremism and its related networks operating across West Africa,” he cautioned.

Oppong Nkrumah stressed that the fight against terrorism cannot be left solely to the country’s security agencies.

He called for a whole-of-society approach, urging government, communities, civil society organisations, international partners, the media, and citizens to work collectively in strengthening national resilience.

“The circulation of over 2 million firearms in Ghana, our porous land borders, migration postures, and corruption all create vulnerabilities that extremist groups may exploit.

“The fight against terrorism cannot be left to security agencies alone; it requires a whole-of-society approach, government, communities, organisations, international partners, the media, and citizens working hand in hand.”