By Ashiadey Dotse
Member of the NPP Legal Directorate, Lawyer Enoch Afoakwah, has warned that poverty, unemployment and a lack of opportunities in northern Ghana could increase the vulnerability of young people to extremist recruitment.
He said young people struggling to find jobs and improve their living conditions could become targets for violent extremist groups offering financial support or other opportunities.
Speaking on GTV’s Current Agenda on Saturday, September 5, 2026, Mr Afoakwah said the reported arrest of more than 300 people between 2023 and 2025 over alleged extremist recruitment attempts along Ghana’s northern border should serve as a serious warning.
“The poverty levels, lack of opportunities and lack of hope within the northern parts of the country are factors that can contribute to insecurity,” he said.
Mr Afoakwah said people living in extreme poverty could become frustrated with their circumstances and, as a result, become more receptive to offers from groups promising financial assistance or opportunities.
He linked the situation to the frustration-aggression theory, which suggests that difficult social and economic conditions can contribute to frustration and behaviour that may pose risks to national security.
He also warned that extremist groups could exploit concerns about marginalisation, segregation and economic exclusion to convince young people that the government had failed to provide basic services and opportunities.
Mr Afoakwah said the government must therefore address the economic and social conditions that could make communities vulnerable to extremist recruitment, alongside strengthening security measures.
“We should not lose sight of youth unemployment and graduate unemployment,” he said, stressing the need to pay greater attention to the conditions facing young people.
He further called for stronger measures to prevent extremist groups from accessing financial resources through activities such as money laundering, illegal arms sales and drug trafficking.
Mr Afoakwah said Ghana could draw lessons from the Liberian civil war, during which armed groups sought control of valuable natural resources and received support from external interests.
On Ghana’s security response, he urged the government to adequately resource the security agencies and strengthen cooperation among them.
He also cautioned against publicly disclosing sensitive security strategies, arguing that such information could enable criminals and extremist groups to identify weaknesses in Ghana’s security architecture.
“Security must be kept secret because once you give out your strategies and secrets, your opponents will also prepare,” he said.
Mr Afoakwah called for stronger border protection and intelligence-sharing, particularly amid continuing security challenges in the Sahel and the wider West African region.
He said Ghana must remain vigilant and protect its sovereignty in response to reports of alleged attempts to recruit Ghanaian citizens into violent extremist groups.
“We must be careful, protect our borders, protect our sovereignty and ensure that our security is well protected,” he said.
His comments follow a disclosure by the Majority Leader in Parliament, James Agalga, that more than 300 people were arrested between 2023 and 2025 over alleged extremist recruitment attempts along Ghana’s northern border.
Mr Agalga said the arrests formed part of efforts by the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies to prevent extremist groups operating in the sub-region from recruiting people in Ghana.
He also disclosed that security agencies recorded 47 cross-border incursions during the same period, highlighting the security threats facing Ghana despite its relative peace and stability.
