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The Ghanaian Parliament has passed the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025, which renames the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) back to the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI). The legislation also abolishes the position of Minister for National Security, shifting oversight of the National Security Coordinator directly to a presidential appointee, a move the Minority warns could lead to concentrated power. Additionally, the house approved a GHc8.77 billion ($797 million USD) allocation for the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), despite concerns over GHc7.33 billion ($666 million USD) in outstanding arrears from 2024.
These reforms represent a significant restructuring of Ghana's security architecture under the Mahama administration, aiming to streamline command but raising critical questions about parliamentary oversight.
The NIB was originally renamed from BNI in 2020 under the previous NPP administration to avoid confusion with the National Investment Bank; this reversal marks a return to the Fourth Republic's traditional nomenclature.
The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of favoring Engineers & Planners, a company owned by Ibrahim Mahama (the President's brother), in significant mining deals including the Black Volta and Sankofa Gold Projects. Ranking Member Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong called for an investigation into the lack of transparency regarding the transition of the Damang gold mine. Simultaneously, President Mahama admitted to Organized Labour that political and traditional leaders are often complicit in the 'galamsey' (illegal mining) crisis, making enforcement nearly impossible.
Allegations of nepotism in the extractive sector could damage Ghana's standing on the Global Mining Investment Attractiveness Index, which has already seen the country slip from 46th to 53rd place.
Watch for potential reviews of current mining licenses if opposition pressure mounts; the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has specifically warned that weak licensing in the burgeoning lithium sector remains a high-risk area for corruption.
Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama announced a 150-basis point cut to the policy rate, bringing it to 14%. This follows reports that Ghana's economy grew by 6.0% in 2025, with GDP per capita rising to GHc42,502 ($3,864 USD). The total public debt stock stands at GHc641 billion ($58.27 billion USD), but the debt-to-GDP ratio has improved to 45.3%. Gold remains the backbone of the recovery, generating $4.2 billion USD in export earnings in the first two months of 2026 alone.
Lower interest rates are expected to reduce the average lending rate, which fell to 19.7% in February, providing much-needed relief to Ghanaian businesses struggling with high capital costs.
The cedi is showing signs of stability, trading at approximately GHc10.87 ($0.99 USD) per dollar. This is a significant appreciation from the GHc15.53 ($1.41 USD) rate seen in March 2025, meaning your USD remittances may now have more predictable local purchasing power for family projects.
Digital financial inclusion has reached a new peak with mobile money transactions hitting GHc447.4 billion (~$40.67 billion USD) in February 2026. However, the surge in digital payments has been met with sophisticated fraud. Renowned actress Joselyn Dumas recently went public after her account was emptied by scammers posing as DStv representatives, highlighting a gap in consumer protection.
When sending money via MoMo, remind recipients never to share their PINs with callers claiming to be 'agents' or 'service providers.' Fraudsters are increasingly using 'technical support' as a ruse to access wallets.
A 25-year-old microlight helicopter crashed at the TMA Daycare Centre in Tema Community 1, killing Captain Frank Donkor and his younger brother. The victims were the sons of Elder Frank Kwabena Donkor, founder of Hebron Prayer Camp. While no children at the daycare were hurt, the school has been closed indefinitely. The Tema Traditional Council has called for spiritual cleansing rites at the site while the Civil Aviation Authority investigates potential mechanical failure.
The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority's report on whether the age of the aircraft (25 years) contributed to the failure. This may lead to new age restrictions for recreational aircraft operating in urban airspaces.
In a major win for the Ashanti South Police, three suspects have been arrested for the July 2025 murder of Kusasi Chief Abdul-Malik Azenbe in Kumasi. Additionally, four individuals were apprehended in the Wa West District for violent robberies involving the theft of mobile phones and GHc5,000 (~$455 USD) in cash. However, the region remains tense after two scrap dealers were lynched in Ntensere over false allegations of child theft.
The murder of the Kusasi Chief is a sensitive matter linked to broader ethnic tensions. Security remains high in Kumasi to prevent retaliatory violence between Kusasi and Mamprusi factions.
CAF has retroactively stripped Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title, citing a 17-minute walk-off protest by Senegalese players during the final. Despite Senegal returning to win the match 1-0 on the pitch, CAF applied Article 84 to award Morocco a 3-0 forfeit victory. Senegal's government has labeled the ruling 'grossly illegal' and is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
This decision threatens the credibility of CAF governance and has sparked a diplomatic row between two of Africa's footballing giants.
Today we covered the Bank of Ghana's major interest rate cut to 14%, the tragic aircraft loss in Tema, and the ongoing diplomatic fallout from CAF's controversial AFCON ruling. Thank you for reading the Ghana News AI Daily Brief!
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