The Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026 (Act 1168), has been enacted by the President of Ghana, John Mahama, to replace the 2000 Act. This new Act aims to provide a modern legal and institutional framework for addressing evolving security threats in the country. The Act strengthens strategic coordination, intelligence management, counter-terrorism, democratic governance, protection of human rights, cyber security, crisis management, protection of critical national infrastructure, regional cooperation, and national resilience.
The current security situation in Ghana is characterized by interconnected threats such as terrorism, violent extremism, organized crime, cybercrime, espionage, pandemics, and climate insecurities. The new Act establishes security institutions capable of providing an integrated security and intelligence system with effective legal structures that allow for an efficient reaction to security threats. This is a shift from traditional security and defense to security and intelligence governance and national resilience.
The Act modernizes Ghana's security and intelligence architecture by strengthening regional and local security governance, establishing clearly-defined intelligence agencies, and reinforcing the role of the National Security Coordinator. It also streamlines the executive oversight of national security and promotes intelligence coordination, professionalism, democratic oversight, and accountability within the national security sector.
The paper analyzing the Act applies Realism, Human Security Theory, Security Sector Governance (SSG), and the Whole-of-Government (WoG) approach to examine the national security components of Act 1168. These theories highlight the role of the state in protecting national interests, monitoring the evolution of security threats, accountability of security structures, and the requirements for coordinated government response to security challenges.
Realism forms the traditional basis of national security, perceiving the state as the most important actor to secure its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional structure amid an unpredictable international setting. The Human Security Theory advances the concept of security by focusing on individuals and communities as the focus of security policies, recognizing that insecurity potentially arises from non-traditional threats.
The SSG framework serves as the main institutional framework for assessing the relevance of Act 1168, focusing on the principles of legality, civilian control, accountability, efficacy, and mandate clarity. The Act establishes intelligence agencies, the Office of the National Security Coordinator, and decentralized security councils, ensuring clear responsibilities of institutions and good governance and coordination in security management.
Despite the benefits of the Act, implementation challenges, including institutional coordination, resource constraints, and technological capacity, have been identified. The effective implementation of Act 1168 will enhance Ghana's security and intelligence governance, strengthen democratic accountability, and improve national resilience, while offering valuable lessons for security sector reform and intelligence governance across Africa.
Key points
- The Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, aims to modernize Ghana's security and intelligence architecture.
- The Act strengthens strategic coordination, intelligence management, and counter-terrorism.
- Implementation challenges, including institutional coordination and resource constraints, have been identified.
