Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has ordered a slowdown in the issuance of gun licenses in Ghana, citing concerns about the ease with which applicants could previously obtain firearms authorization.
Speaking on TV3 on Sunday, March 15, 2026, the Minister revealed that upon assuming office, he found the licensing process largely informal — applicants simply wrote to the Minister, a few background checks were conducted, and licenses were granted with little friction. He has since moved to change that.
“Now, I have slowed down the granting of those licenses. We are moving on to streamline the importers to ensure that people don’t just import and sell in the open market,” he stated.
As part of the reforms, the Ministry is working to digitalise the firearms registration and sales system to enable more accurate, real-time monitoring of gun ownership across the country. The initiative, he said, will allow security agencies to track every licensed firearm and its holder more effectively.
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The Minister also reminded gun owners that firearm licenses in Ghana must be renewed annually and automatically expire on December 31 each year, regardless of when they were issued.
“Even if you get the license in November or December, once December 31 comes, it expires,” he said.
Over 4,000 Guns Retrieved Under Amnesty Programme
In a separate development, Mr. Mohammed-Mubarak disclosed that more than 4,000 firearms have been voluntarily surrendered by civilians under the government’s ongoing gun amnesty programme — part of a wider push to reduce the proliferation of illegal weapons and strengthen national security.
He noted that authorities had already retrieved approximately 11,000 guns before the formal amnesty period was launched, with the programme driving further surrenders from individuals in possession of unlicensed weapons. The collected firearms are currently being documented and marked by security agencies ahead of their destruction.
The Minister said the amnesty initiative has made a significant dent in the number of illegal arms in circulation, while complementing broader efforts by security agencies to combat violent crime and improve community safety nationwide.
Credit: TV3 Ghana