𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐒𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐎 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐄

Ahead of the 8th National Weapons Destruction exercise scheduled for 9th July 2026, the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA), in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service and with technical support from The HALO Trust, has commenced a three-day specialised training programme at the FPU.

The training brings together 10 Officers each from the Ghana Police Service and NACSA to build the technical capacity required for the safe and environmentally sustainable destruction of over 2,000 obsolete, surrendered and seized firearms.

Delivering the opening remarks, Dr. Bonnaa, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, emphasised that the exercise is not just about cutting weapons; it is about removing instruments of violence from circulation and making communities safer.

As this is the first time Ghana is adopting this internationally recognised destruction method, he stressed the importance of equipping participants with the technical skills required to safely and effectively execute the exercise. He urged participants to engage fully throughout the training, emphasising that precision and strict compliance with established procedures are critical, as any errors could compromise both the integrity of the process and the broader objective of permanently removing illicit weapons from circulation to make communities safer.

Also speaking at the opening session, Mr. Gyebi Asante, Director of Policy, Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPRME) at NACSA noted that, unlike previous destruction exercises where weapons were burned, this exercise will adopt internationally accepted best practices by cutting the firearms before transporting the metal to a smelting company for recycling. He explained that the new approach promotes environmental sustainability while ensuring the permanent destruction of the weapons.

The HALO Trust is facilitating the training, providing participants with specialised expertise in Weapons Destruction to support Ghana's efforts to strengthen arms control, enhance public safety, and align with international best practices.