The Ghana Immigration Service announced that a €7.3 million European Union‑funded project will bolster border security and cooperation among Ghana and its three neighbouring countries.
The Strengthening and Harmonising Integrated Border Management Framework Africa (SHIFT) project covers Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Togo and seeks to close identified gaps in border management across the four nations.
Deputy Comptroller‑General of Immigration in charge of Command Posts and Co‑Chair of the SHIFT Project, Faisal Disu, said the initiative was prompted by emerging security threats from the Sahel region and the challenges posed by Ghana’s extensive network of approved and unapproved routes.
Ghana currently has 48 approved entry points and more than 300 unapproved routes, making regional cooperation critical to addressing security gaps, Disu explained at the opening of a Regional Workshop on a Cross‑Border Cooperative Framework on Tuesday, September 22.
“The SHIFT project is funded by the EU, and it’s for four countries: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Togo. It’s mainly aimed at improving our border management, especially with the kind of threats coming from the northern parts, the Sahel area,” Disu said. “We have always known there have always been gaps. Now, this SHIFT project, valued at about €7.3 million, is set to address some of the gaps that we have identified regarding border management.”
The project is expected to enhance collaboration among border management agencies in the four countries and improve their capacity to respond to cross‑border security threats.
