On June 12, 2025, the Ashanti Regional Office of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA), in collaboration with the National Peace Council, held a public education and sensitization exercise at Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School (OKESS) in Kumasi. The event brought together over 3,800 students and staff for an impactful engagement on issues surrounding small arms, youth vigilantism, and the role of young people in sustaining peace and security.
The outreach forms part of ongoing efforts to promote a culture of peace among Ghana’s youth, who are often the most vulnerable to the lure of violence and armed conflict. Officers from NACSA and the Ashanti Regional Executive Secretary of the Peace Council delivered insightful presentations, shedding light on the risks associated with small arms proliferation and the need for students to resist participation in vigilante groups.
Members of the school’s staff expressed strong appreciation for the initiative, noting its relevance and calling for similar engagements to be institutionalized across senior high schools in the region. Key recommendations emerging from the session included the need for increased public education in tertiary institutions.
This sensitization exercise reaffirms NACSA’s commitment to early intervention and collaboration in building a peaceful Ghana, one student at a time.