On 23rd and 24th July 2025, the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) convened a high-level, two-day stakeholder engagement at its headquarters to review the proposed National Arms Bill. This critical meeting marks a key step in finalizing the draft legislation ahead of its submission to cabinet for approval before being laid on the floor of parliament.
The 2-day engagement which was opened by the Deputy Minister for the Interior, Hon. Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi (MP) brought together key actors from government, legal, civil society and the security sector with a shared commitment to tackling the threats posed by small arms proliferation. The meeting opened with remarks from Dr. Adam A.A. Bonaa, Acting Executive Secretary of NACSA, who underscored the Bill’s importance in modernizing Ghana’s legal framework and aligning it with regional and international conventions such as the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms, the Arms Trade Treaty, and the UN Programme of Action.
“This occasion holds personal significance for me, having been part of the Commission’s Board during the Bill’s formative stages. I have seen firsthand the urgent need for a modern legal framework that responds to Ghana’s evolving security landscape” Dr. Bonaa stated.
Echoing this urgency, the Deputy Minister for the Interior, Hon. Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi (MP) stressed the need for a robust National Arms Bill to address the gaps in the existing outdated and porous laws. “Our resolve must match the urgency of making Ghana a gun-violence-free and safe country” he stated.
Hon. Terlabi highlighted the alarming rise in gun-related incidents, particularly among the youth and during traditional and social events. He called on participants to ensure the Bill is technically sound and practically enforceable in order to be owned by the people it is meant to protect.
Over the two-day engagement, stakeholders scrutinized the proposed draft Bill in detail, offering critical technical and policy input. The collaborative review aimed to refine and fortify the legislation, ensuring it is both comprehensive, punitive and implementable.
As the session concluded, there was a shared sense of purpose in the room, one anchored in the belief that a gun-violence-free Ghana is not just a policy aspiration, but a national imperative.