Ghana's Interior Minister, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, has disclosed that the country has 48 legitimate entry points but more than 300 unapproved crossing points. This revelation raises concerns about the challenges facing the country's border security. The Minister emphasized that the numerous unapproved routes posed a security challenge that required stronger cooperation with neighbouring countries.
The Minister for the Interior made these comments on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, highlighting the need for cooperation among countries to tackle security threats that could extend beyond national borders. He stressed that sharing intelligence and working together were essential in addressing threats across the sub-region. According to Mr. Muntaka, Ghana's overall security situation has improved compared with 2025.
Despite continuing concerns about ethnic conflicts, land disputes, illicit drugs, and border vulnerabilities, the Minister assured that Ghana is much safer today than it was in 2025. He acknowledged that crime remained a challenge but said the government and security agencies were doing everything possible to protect the public and enable people to go about their daily activities without fear.
When asked to provide figures to support his assessment of the security situation, the Minister cautioned against measuring progress solely by comparing the number of deaths recorded in different years. Instead, he pointed to a reduction in the number of curfews imposed across the country. According to him, Ghana began 2025 with about 11 curfews and ended the year with about nine.
As of now, Ghana has only three more curfews, with developments in Bawku in the Upper East Region, where there had been no gunfire for 150 days. The relative calm had allowed the authorities to ease restrictions in the town, including adjusting the curfew to between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Residents had also been permitted to ride motorbikes between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Minister recalled that violence associated with the Bawku conflict had previously spread to other communities, triggering retaliatory attacks and the burning of buses along highways. He explained that the authorities had combined security operations with mediation and peacebuilding efforts to contain the conflict.
Despite the improvements outlined, the Minister said Ghana continued to face security threats that required sustained attention, including ethnic conflicts, land disputes, and illicit drug-related activities. He stressed that addressing these challenges also required effective border management, given the number of unapproved crossing points across the country.
Key points
- The Minister disclosed that Ghana has 48 legitimate entry points but over 300 unapproved crossing points.
- Ghana's overall security situation has improved compared with 2025.
- The country has reduced the number of curfews from 11 at the start of 2025 to only three currently.
