Interior Minister calls for integrated border management to drive Africa’s free movement agenda

Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak (MP), has called for a coordinated and technology-driven border management system across Africa to support free movement, strengthen security, and boost economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking on Day Two of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), the Interior Minister said integrating border operations across land borders, ports, and airports would enable real-time traceability, risk profiling, and efficient processing of goods and people.

According to him, linking national digital identification systems to continental standards aligned with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy would allow authorities to verify identities quickly, prevent fraud, and facilitate legitimate movement, citing Ghana’s ongoing reforms as a practical example.

Mr. Muntaka noted that biometric technologies were not intended for surveillance but rather to build trust through systems that enhance both security and prosperity, while empowering law-abiding travellers and traders.

“Our task is not to restrict movement, but to manage it intelligently,” he said, stressing the need for risk-based controls, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and modern border systems capable of separating legitimate trade from illicit activity.

He identified non-tariff barriers—such as multiple checkpoints, overlapping institutional mandates, inconsistent documentation requirements, and poor coordination among border agencies—as the greatest challenge facing African traders, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The Interior Minister warned that AfCFTA would not achieve its full potential unless security institutions, customs authorities, migration services, and trade regulators moved away from siloed operations toward integrated border management.

He disclosed that Ghana is strengthening joint border operations through enhanced information sharing, capacity building for frontline officers, and the deployment of technology-driven clearance and verification systems.

He said these reforms were aimed at reducing harassment and delays for traders while improving enforcement effectiveness.

Mr. Muntaka underscored that trade facilitation and security were not competing goals but mutually reinforcing priorities.

He urged participants to remain guided by the Make Africa Borderless Now initiative, noting that Africa’s integration agenda would only succeed if security, mobility, and economic opportunity advanced together.

“When borders are efficient, SMEs grow,” he said, adding that the initiative challenges African leaders to move from rhetoric to results.

“As Minister responsible for internal security in Ghana, I stand ready to play my part—not as a gatekeeper of exclusion, but as an architect of safe, inclusive, and prosperous movement across our continent,” he added.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith and Hawa Abubakar