Ghana's Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has spearheaded a series of comprehensive reforms aimed at strengthening control over firearm ownership and enhancing national security. Upon assuming office, Minister Mubarak identified significant systemic challenges within the existing firearm registration process, which he described as “simplistic” and prone to errors. He noted that previously, obtaining a gun licence merely involved a written application to the minister followed by a background check, a process now deemed insufficient for modern security needs.

As a foundational step, the Ministry has deliberately slowed down the issuance of new firearm licences while actively working to introduce a robust digital registration system. This digitalization is critical to overcoming the inefficiencies of the current manual record-keeping, which makes it challenging to accurately track the exact number of firearms in circulation and monitor compliance with annual licence renewals. Under Ghanaian law, firearm licences expire on December 31st each year, regardless of the issue date, a requirement that has been difficult to enforce with manual files, often leading to inaccurate data and administrative scrambling.

Beyond licensing, the reforms extend to tighter regulation of firearm importation and sales. The Ministry is focused on streamlining gun importers to prevent the open-market sale of firearms, a practice that has previously endangered public safety. Minister Mubarak cited the fire incident at Kejetia market, where shops were found openly selling guns, as a clear example of the legal contraventions inherited by the Ministry. To combat this, new measures mandate that all firearms be stored in approved magazines or secure storage facilities, with explicit police oversight to ensure transparency in sales and transfers. This initiative ensures that security agencies are aware of who owns and, crucially, who is purchasing firearms, thereby enhancing traceability and accountability.

In a forward-looking move, the Interior Ministry also plans to partner with a private entity to establish accredited firearm training facilities across Ghana. This initiative addresses the Ghana Police Service's resource limitations in providing adequate training and aims to professionalize gun ownership. Under this proposed scheme, prospective firearm owners will be required to undergo formal training at these facilities and obtain certification before their licence applications receive ministerial approval. This mandatory training is expected to significantly reduce accidents, strengthen public safety, and foster a culture of responsible firearm usage among civilians.

Complementing these proactive measures, a recent gun amnesty exercise, which concluded on January 30, 2026, saw more than 4,000 firearms voluntarily surrendered by civilians. This program, initially launched on December 1, 2025, and extended from its original January 15, 2026, deadline, was part of a broader strategy to curb the proliferation of illegal and unregistered weapons. Minister Mubarak expressed concerns about the