President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated the Joint Cyber Security Committee and announced the creation of a 50-million-dollar FinTech Growth Fund to support the country’s fight against cybercrime and promote the digital economy.

At the opening of the 2025 National Cyber Security Awareness Month in Accra on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the President cautioned perpetrators of romance scams that both Ghanaians and foreigners involved in such activities would be handed over to international partners for prosecution.

Cyber threats

President Mahama described cyber threats as borderless, invisible and constantly evolving, stressing that they pose a growing danger to national and economic security.

He said the Joint Cyber Security Committee, which draws membership from the security and intelligence agencies, would work closely with the Cyber Security Authority to strengthen national response to cyber threats.

“Cyber security must not be fragmented. It demands unity of purpose, a clear strategy and disciplined education,” he said. The 2025 awareness campaign is being held on the theme: “Building a Safe, Informed and Accountable Digital Space.”

Committee membership

The 18 members of the Committee are Dr. Zakari Mumuni, First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Albert Kwadwo Twum Boafo, Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Intelligence Centre, John Philip Eddico, Deputy Director-General of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), Raymond Archer, Deputy Executive Director of Economic and Organised Crime Office and Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, Director of Cybercrime Unit & Child Protection Digital Forensic Laboratory at the Criminal Investigations Department.

The rest are: Charles Aboah, Director of Operations at the National Security Council Secretariat, Dr. George Atta-Boateng, Director-General of the National Signals Bureau, Brigadier General Kinglsey Kwabena Kessie Affrifah, Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, Laud Ofori Affrifah, Deputy Comptroller-General at the Ghana Immigration Service and Patience Kokui Gameli-Kwame, Deputy Director-General, Research Department.

The others are: Colonel Yakubu Boabeng Abdulai, Director Operations and Training DCIS, Ghana Armed Forces, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, Wisdom Donkor, Executive Director, Ghana Domain Name Registry (GDNR).

FinTech Growth Fund

The President said the new 50 million dollar FinTech Growth Fund was part of the government’s Reset Ghana agenda and would provide support for local start-ups to develop financial technology solutions for both domestic and continental use.

“We want Ghanaian innovators to develop solutions for Ghanaian challenges and also expand them across Africa,” he said.

Romance scams and fraud

President Mahama said fraudsters were using various tricks to defraud unsuspecting Ghanaians, including impersonating staff of mobile network operators.

He narrated how some scammers attempt to dupe mobile money subscribers to obtain their security PIN codes.

He commended citizens who outwit scammers by wasting their time, including one man who pretends to stammer when asked to read verification codes.

He also cited the infamous “Swedru girls” scandal of years past, where young women were lured into posing for nude photographs with false promises of travel abroad, only to have their images exposed online.

He reiterated that Ghana was already working with international partners to combat romance scams. “Anybody involved in romance scams, whether you are a foreigner or a Ghanaian citizen, we will hand you over to be tried and punished accordingly,” he stated.

Financial sector risks

President Mahama disclosed that insider threats had also been detected in financial institutions. Some individuals had been arrested by the Bank of Ghana and cyber security agencies for abusing their positions.

He expressed concern about online hate speech being used to inflame ethnic divisions, describing it as increasingly common.

Citing global figures, he said 20 per cent of reported cyber incidents in the past two decades had targeted the financial sector, with losses exceeding 12 billion dollars. Since 2020, cyber-related losses are estimated at more than 2.5 billion dollars worldwide.

“Ghana is not immune. We too have encountered cyber fraud cases, phishing attacks, identity theft and other digital crimes that harm individuals and businesses alike,” the President said.

Digital agenda

President Mahama outlined ongoing government initiatives in the digital sector. These include the One Million Coders programme, launched in April 2025, to train young people in coding, software engineering, data analytics, and cybersecurity. Pilot projects are underway in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono, and Upper East regions.

The Digital Jobs Initiative, a public-private partnership, is also setting up regional centres for business process outsourcing and ICT parks. One of the major projects is the redevelopment of the Dawa ICT Park into an international centre.

He said the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative also depended on secure systems, constant monitoring and effective cyber security protocols to protect businesses, banks and hospitals.

International cooperation

President Mahama announced that Ghana would ratify and sign the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime in October. He explained that the treaty would provide new tools for investigating cyber attacks, prosecuting offenders and protecting critical infrastructure.

Public awareness

The President stressed that technical measures alone were not enough without citizen awareness. “Our citizens are our first line of defence,” he said, adding that the awareness month aimed to ensure that all Ghanaians, from schoolchildren to traders and bankers, understand digital risks.

He said new school curricula, community training and public campaigns were being rolled out to educate the public that “a simple click can have consequences and that vigilance online is as important as vigilance on our streets.”

Shared responsibility
President Mahama said the government must provide strong institutions and enforcement, the private sector must protect consumer data, civil society must hold institutions accountable, and citizens must remain alert.

“Digitalisation without security is unsustainable. Innovation without responsibility is dangerous, and opportunity without inclusion is unjust,” he said.