GIS launches €7.3m EU-funded project to strengthen border security
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has launched the National Project Steering Committee for the Strengthening and Harmonising Integrated Border Management Frameworks and Technical (SHIFT) Capacities in West Africa project, a €7.3 million initiative funded by the European Union to improve border security and combat terrorism and transnational organised crime in the sub-region.
The inaugural meeting of the committee was held at the Ghana Immigration Service Headquarters in Accra and chaired by the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Samuel Basintale Amadu.
Implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the 48-month SHIFT project is designed to address major security challenges facing West Africa, including the spread of terrorism from the Sahel, porous borders, transnational organised crime and limited state presence in some border communities.
The initiative seeks to strengthen and harmonise Integrated Border Management (IBM) systems among participating countries, improve regional security, promote cooperation across borders and contribute to economic development.
The project will be implemented in Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo, while Burkina Faso will participate in regional activities.
Border management agencies, security institutions, civil society groups and communities located along borders are expected to participate in the programme, with a focus on improving information sharing, coordination and joint operational responses.
Speaking at the meeting, Comptroller-General Samuel Basintale Amadu reaffirmed the Ghana Immigration Service’s commitment to collaborating with regional and international partners to protect Ghana’s borders and contribute to peace and stability across West Africa.
He stressed that stronger cooperation among border management institutions was essential to responding effectively to emerging security threats and improving border governance throughout the region.
Amala Obiokoye Nwalor, Head of Office of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, also highlighted the importance of strengthening information exchange among security agencies.
She explained that although various security institutions currently operate separate communication systems, integrating the Ghana Immigration Service’s Information Exchange Mechanism into its operations and extending it to Regional Commands and Border Control Points would enhance coordination and improve operational efficiency.
During the meeting, members of the National Project Steering Committee reviewed and adopted the committee’s Terms of Reference and approved the 2026 Work Plan, which will guide the implementation of the initiative.
The committee is chaired by Deputy Comptroller-General of Immigration Faisal Disu.
European Union Team Leader Gisela Spreitzhofer praised members for their commitment to the programme, describing the inaugural meeting as successful and expressing confidence in the project’s implementation.
The meeting brought together representatives from the Ghana Immigration Service, the European Union, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, other security agencies and civil society organisations to discuss and coordinate the implementation of the regional border security programme.
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