Wednesday, 15th October 2025 – The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) signed a landmark 5-year partnership aimed at fighting the proliferation of illicit small arms and gun violence to make Ghana safe, peaceful and gun-violence-free. Signed at the GBC, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) marks the launch of a comprehensive strategy to directly involve the Ghanaian public in the national effort to combat the illicit flow and misuse of small arms.
Dr. Adam Bonaa, Executive Secretary of the Commission, during the signing of the MOU acknowledged the mileage GBC will provide in the fight against the illicit proliferation of small arms in the country. He said, “GBC has the mileage and expertise, be it technical, content production or even in the number of Ghanaian languages broadcast. Leveraging on this will make the fight against the illicit proliferation and misuse of small arms hugely successful”.
Further to this, Prof. Amin Alhassan, Director – General of GBC, stated: “This is the second attempt at working together and we must make this partnership take flight. NACSA has the human resource to speak to the issues and GBC has the platform and leverage. Together, we will achieve more in the fight against the illicit proliferation and misuse of firearms in the country”.
The 5-year comprehensive information dissemination strategy will focus on four (4) core areas of engagement:
- Documentaries and Jingles: Compelling and fact-based documentaries that explore the root causes and real-world consequences of arms misuse will be developed. These will be complemented by informative and catchy public service jingles designed for rapid, widespread memorization across all major Ghanaian languages.
- Expert Interviews and Discussions: Through regular Radio and TV interviews, experts from the Commission will engage the public directly, creating awareness on the dangers of the acquisition and use of illicit firearms, explaining the laws surrounding small arms ownership whilst offering practical advice on reporting suspicious activities involving firearms. These sessions will provide citizens with a platform to ask questions and shape the dialogue on safety.
- Real-Time Alerts via Crawlers and LPMs: The partnership will ensure that timely information on small arms is constantly visible. Crawlers on all GBC channels and Live Presenter Mentions (LPMs) across its radio stations will provide consistent reinforcement of key messages in real-time.
- Event Coverage: GBC will provide dedicated Event Coverage for NACSA’s public sensitization and education campaigns, dialogues, stakeholder and community engagements as well as other activities.
Both NACSA and GBC recognize that securing this long-term strategy requires sustained resources. As part of the MOU, the two institutions have committed to working together to actively solicit for funds from partners and development agencies who share the vision of a Ghana free of gun-related violence. This joint fundraising mechanism ensures that the message of responsible arms ownership and community vigilance remains vibrant and consistent for the entire five-year period.
The illicit proliferation and misuse of arms thrive in silence, but partnering with the nation’s voice is the antidote to that silence. By making this conversation accessible using jingles, documentaries, community-based engagements and sharing real-time information, NACSA and GBC will create a Ghana free from gun violence.
NACSA will continue to collaborate with the media to build awareness, promote vigilance, and foster a culture of responsibility and voluntary information sharing.
Members of the public are urged to report incidents of illicit arms possession or misuse by contacting the Ghana Police Service on 18555, National Security on 999, or NACSA directly via call/WhatsApp on +233 (0)59 907 0944 or by calling +233 (0)302 669 071.