The Ghana Boundary Commission has completed a five-day assessment of sections of the Ghana-Togo international boundary in the Oti Region, combining inspections of border infrastructure with consultations on security and development concerns raised by local communities.
The mission was led by the Commission’s Commissioner-General, Major General Anthony Ntem, and covered the Kadjebi District, Nkwanta South Municipality and Nkwanta North District.
It was conducted as part of the Commission’s wider efforts to strengthen boundary governance, improve border security and support the development of communities along Ghana’s eastern frontier.
The exercise also aimed to bring border communities more closely into Ghana’s boundary management framework. As well as meetings with residents and local authorities, the delegation carried out field inspections and examined a number of International Boundary Pillars (IBPs).
The assessment began in the Kadjebi District, where Major General Ntem met residents from Ampeyoo, Ahamansu and Butabe at Dodi Papaso.
In the Nkwanta South Municipality, the delegation was joined by Municipal Chief Executive Joseph Awal Abubakari Antwi. Meetings were held with traditional leaders, Assembly officials and residents of Dadiase, Kue and Chillinga.
Discussions covered the management of the international boundary, border security, cooperation between communities on either side of the border and the wider socio-economic conditions affecting residents.
Communities highlight infrastructure and security concerns
Residents used the meetings to outline a range of challenges affecting daily life and economic activity.
Speaking for the Dadiase Traditional Area, the Dadiase Amankrado, Nana Amanfo Monfakye I, called for better mobile network coverage. He said poor telecommunications infrastructure made it difficult for residents to contact security agencies during emergencies.
Residents of Kue expressed similar concerns about mobile connectivity.
In Chillinga, community members appealed for a motorable road linking the settlement with Nkwanta. They said farmers and beekeepers currently had to walk for nearly four hours before reaching transport services that could take their produce to market.
The Chillinga community also requested improvements to roads, healthcare, education, markets and the security presence. Residents said those measures would help improve livelihoods and support faster development.
The mission later moved to the Nkwanta North District, where Major General Ntem, accompanied by District Chief Executive Dordoe Kudjoe Isaiah, met traditional authorities, Assembly officials, security agencies and representatives of border communities at Tinjase.
Those discussions focused on security along the international boundary, the condition of International Boundary Pillars, cross-border cooperation and the human security difficulties faced by residents.
Community members called for the Kpassa-Tinjase road to be completed quickly, including the section leading to the Tinjase border crossing point. They said the road would make the area more accessible, support trade and encourage economic development.
They also appealed for better access to potable water and healthcare facilities.
Border pillar inspections
Major General Ntem praised the resilience and patriotism of the border communities, saying their cooperation was essential to protecting Ghana’s territorial integrity.
He assured residents that the Ghana Boundary Commission would continue working with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), as well as development partners, to respond to the concerns raised during the mission.
The Commissioner-General and his team conducted detailed inspections along parts of the international boundary to examine the condition of several International Boundary Pillars and improve the Commission’s operational understanding of the area.
The delegation also visited selected border posts, where it met personnel from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ghana Immigration Service and other security agencies.
Those engagements considered the operational difficulties encountered by border personnel and measures to strengthen security while allowing legitimate cross-border movement and trade to continue.
The Ghana Boundary Commission said the completion of the mission reaffirmed its commitment to effective boundary governance, the protection of Ghana’s international borders and the socio-economic development of border communities.
It added that progress would depend on sustained cooperation with traditional authorities, local government institutions, security agencies and development partners.
