Interior Minister advocates smart borders to boost continental trade
Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, Minister of the Interior, has emphasized the critical role of security, migration, and border management in enabling Africa’s economic integration.
Speaking during his address at the Day-2 of the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Thursday, 5th February, 2026, Minister Muntaka touted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a transformative opportunity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), women, and youth. He noted that while the initiative promises to unlock trillions in value and create millions of jobs, its success hinges on addressing frictions at borders.
“Security and free movement are not competing goals,” the Minister stressed. “Without security, trade cannot flourish; without orderly mobility, integration cannot succeed.” He outlined Ghana’s approach to risk-based, intelligence-led border management, which employs data analytics, joint patrols, and shared intelligence to facilitate legitimate trade while intercepting risks such as trafficking, terrorism, and illicit flows.
Minister Muntaka detailed several reforms in Ghana, including biometric tracking of incoming passengers, integration of land, sea, and air border systems, and collaborative operations among security agencies, customs, and trade regulators. He also called for regional cooperation to harmonize standards, streamline procedures, and improve infrastructure across African borders.
Touching on the plight of informal traders—particularly women and youth—the Minister identified non-tariff barriers such as harassment, arbitrary fines, and excessive documentation as persistent obstacles to trade. He recommended targeted training for border officials, transparent procedures, and grievance mechanisms to enhance economic inclusion while maintaining security.
The Minister also drew attention to lessons from ECOWAS’s visa-free protocol, which has facilitated labor mobility, cross-border trade, and cultural exchange in West Africa. He proposed scaling these successes continent-wide through a harmonized African Union biometric identity system, arguing that such a framework would create a “smart, connected, and accountable Africa” while protecting citizens and legitimate commerce.
The Minister also Muntaka reinforced that integration cannot rely on policy declarations alone. “Our choice will be phased into the border. Africa’s integration agenda will succeed only if security, mobility, and economic opportunity move together,” he further stated
