The 2025 Global Organised Crime Index has identified Ghana as a major source of commercial explosives used in the conflicts in Mali and Burkina Faso. The report points to Accra and Kumasi as key markets for illicit weapons, with Kumasi’s local gun‑manufacturing centres producing firearms for both domestic and regional demand.
According to the index, the availability of affordable raw materials and attractive retail prices make gun manufacturing a highly profitable venture in Ghana. The report notes that demand for illicit arms has spread beyond traditional hunting and poaching communities to urban and rural areas where rising crime rates threaten safety and livelihoods.
Criminal networks facilitate arms trading within Ghana and across its borders, linking international traders with local purchasers. The findings highlight the cross‑border nature of Ghana’s illicit arms market, with criminal networks moving weapons and explosives beyond the country’s limits.
In addition to arms, the report identifies Ghana as a significant market for counterfeit goods. Most electrical products sold in Accra are estimated to be counterfeit and fail to meet safety standards, while counterfeit medicines, textiles and vehicle spare parts are traded in markets such as Makola and Abossey Okai. Many of these counterfeit products are reportedly manufactured in China and shipped into West Africa through the Port of Tema.
The report also notes that Ghana’s porous borders, particularly with Togo and Burkina Faso, facilitate the smuggling of tobacco and alcohol products, with high excise taxes cited as a factor encouraging illicit trade.
As Ghana’s role in the regional arms trade grows, authorities and international partners are urged to strengthen border controls and regulatory oversight to curb the flow of weapons and counterfeit goods that fuel violence and undermine public safety.
