“As Guns Proliferate in Ghana, What Are The Security Agencies Doing?”

Many residents and civil society organizations share the legitimate worry that national security is doing nothing to address the rising gun violence in Ghana. Despite Ghana’s longstanding reputation as a haven of peace in West Africa, recent events suggest a concerning increase in the spread of small arms and light weapons (SALW), which presents serious threats to national security and public safety.

The second quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 saw an 80% increase in gun violence, according to reports, with events growing more common and egregious in both urban and rural locations.

For instance, there has been a notable rise in illegal arms in the Ashanti Region, where eleven seats have been identified as hotspots for illegal firearm activity. Concerns have been voiced regarding Ghana’s propensity to becoming a “gun state,” where guns are more widely available and used in regular disputes, as a result of this increase in violence.

The Ministry of the Interior’s National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) asserts that they are actively doing their best to counteract the spread of illegal firearms in response to these challenges.

Established by Act 736 of 2007, NACSA’s mandate includes preventing, combating, and eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, educating the public on the dangers of such arms, and ensuring compliance with international conventions like the ECOWAS Convention and the UN Firearms Protocol.

The Ghana National Action Plan for Arms Control and Management (NAP), one of the Commission’s major projects, offers a thorough framework for monitoring and regulating illegal small arms in the nation. Small arms control, public education and awareness-raising, security agency capacity building, institutional strengthening advocacy, and cooperation with regional and global partners are the five main focuses of this plan.

Through the Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT) project, Ghana has collaborated with international organizations like as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in recognition of the complex nature of the small weapons issue. SALIENT was established in 2024 with the goal of addressing the growth of illicit small guns and armed conflict by assisting civil society organizations, performing baseline studies, developing capacity, and creating an online arms control database.

The West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) Ghana and other civil society organizations have been outspoken in their support of more robust legislative measures. To effectively control the spread of SALW, they have demanded that the National Arms Commission Bill be passed quickly and that the Cabinet Memorandum on the Implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty be approved.

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The growing number of guns among ordinary Ghanaians, even students, highlights the need for a more comprehensive and coordinated strategy, even though the work of NACSA, foreign partners, and civil society is praiseworthy.

One of the security agencies’ top priorities is strengthening law enforcement’s ability to effectively enforce the law and fight illegal arms trafficking, but how quickly will that happen given the innocent lives being lost, with no arrests?

According to the authorities, they are sharing intelligence and working together with neighboring nations to combat cross-border arms trafficking.

A shared yearning for peace and security is reflected in Ghanaians’ growing worry over the spread of guns. National security services must move quickly to stop Ghana from turning into a “gun state,” working with foreign allies and civil society.