The West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism (WACCE) has warned that Ghana faces a growing terrorism threat as extremist violence spreads across the Sahel and closer to the country’s borders.

The Centre says Ghana’s geographical proximity to countries experiencing increasing extremist attacks, coupled with internal socioeconomic challenges, could make the country more vulnerable to violent extremism.

Speaking at a 9/11 Memorial Dialogue in Accra on Thursday, September 11, WACCE Executive Director Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar said Ghana was now “closer to the threat” than ever before.

“We are closer to the threat than ever. If you look at the geographical proximity, we are closer to the threat now than we have ever been,” he said.

Mr Muqthar noted that terrorism was previously viewed largely as a distant threat from countries such as Mali, but the situation had changed significantly, particularly with the spread of extremist violence in Burkina Faso.

“Before 2014, we didn’t have terrorism in Burkina Faso. It was seen as a distant threat in Mali and other parts of West Africa. Today, the attacks are closer to our borders,” he said.

He also pointed to the movement of people fleeing insecurity in Burkina Faso and other affected areas as another factor Ghana must consider in assessing its security risks.

Internal vulnerabilities

Mr Muqthar said geographical proximity was only one part of the challenge.

He identified unemployment, economic insecurity, prolonged conflicts, chieftaincy disputes and ethnic tensions as internal vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited by extremist groups.

“The issues of pervasive unemployment involving young people, prolonged disputes, conflict, chieftaincy disputes, ethnic disputes—all of these are factors that could be exploited by extremist groups,” he cautioned.

“These, put together, make us more vulnerable than we have ever been,” he added.

The warning comes against the backdrop of a changing global terrorism landscape, with the Sahel emerging as a major centre of extremist violence.

The 2025 Global Terrorism Index identifies the Sahel as the epicentre of terrorism globally, with the region accounting for more than half of terrorism-related deaths worldwide.

Call for stronger community resilience

WACCE is urging the government to increase investment in youth empowerment and strengthen community-based approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism.

The Centre said addressing socioeconomic vulnerabilities, particularly among young people, would be critical to building resilience in communities that could otherwise become susceptible to extremist recruitment and influence.

It said a stronger community-based response, alongside efforts to address unemployment and local conflicts, would help Ghana better prepare for emerging extremist threats and protect vulnerable communities.