Stephen W. Arthur, Director General of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority
The Director-General of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Stephen W. Arthur, has disclosed that government is putting finishing touches on a hightech border security platform that will capture and screen every traveller’s data in real time.
This is expected to tighten national security and keep the country in line with international aviation rules.
The Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record system, or APIPNR, is more than 80 percent complete and all infrastructure is already in place, the Director-General told industry executives at a stakeholder breakfast in Accra.
Once operational, airlines will transmit passport details, itineraries and payment data to authorities before flights land, giving security agencies time to run risk profiles and flag suspects.
“The system will bring a new dimension to our border security, crime prevention and regulatory agility,” Rev. Arthur said.
The project is one of 70 modernisation initiatives now under way, including a new air traffic control centre slated for completion next year. Ghana already ranks among Africa’s top performers in International Civil Aviation Organisation safety and security audits – and the APIPNR rollout is designed to preserve that edge as passenger numbers rebound to prepandemic levels.
Rev. Arthur said digitising surveillance, licencing and reporting functions has become a strategic pillar. The APIPNR database will integrate with performance based navigation tools and emissions dashboards, giving regulators a real-time picture of aircraft movement and environmental impact. “Leadership is not about titles; it is about mission, responsibility and results,” he told the gathering.
Privacy advocates warn that large data troves could be vulnerable to cyberattacks or misuse if safeguards lag behind technology adoption.
Rev. Arthur acknowledged the risks, noting that the platform is being built “in full alignment with global aviation security architecture”, including encryption and access controls endorsed by ICAO and Interpol best practices.
Aviation contributes roughly 0.8 percent of Ghana’s gross domestic product, but officials see the sector as a catalyst for tourism, trade and regional integration. The country leads the seven member Banjul Accord Group in pushing for unified safety protocols and digital processes across West Africa’s fragmented airspace; neighbouring states such as Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire are at earlier stages of adopting APIPNR technology.
Project costs were not disclosed, though government last year secured a €40million facility from European lenders to upgrade surveillance and communications infrastructure. The new control centre, designed for satellite-based navigation and multi-lateration radar, is expected to come online by end of 2026.
Stakeholder buy-in will be critical. Airlines must reconfigure reservation systems to transmit data within strict timelines, while immigration, Customs and national security agencies need analytics tools to act on red flags.
Rev. Arthur pledged to “deepen collaboration” so that “no stakeholder is left behind”, invoking ICAO’s development mantra.
