On Thursday, the National Communications Authority (NCA) announced that it has started high-level engagements to create the nation’s first National Emergency Telecommunications Plan, which will improve Ghana’s readiness and response to natural disasters.
Key players from Ministries, Sector Agencies, Mobile Network Operators, and the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications are involved in the engagements, which began on August 11, 2025, at the NCA Tower in Accra.
The World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations agency, supports the initiative, which aims to guarantee prompt, dependable communication before, during, and following disasters and incorporate early warning systems into the national emergency plan.
Pressing need for coordinated action
Rev. Ing. Edmund Fianko, the NCA’s Director General, voiced concern in his opening remarks about the nation’s low emergency preparedness priority and emphasised the pressing need for coordinated action.
“It is sad that we do not take our emergencies seriously. Therefore, prompt communication in response to changing weather conditions and other natural hazards is imperative, as has been seen in recent times. The NCA pledges its full support to ensure that our communications infrastructure is ready during emergencies,” he stated.
He also revealed plans for the NCA to set up an amateur radio station and other systems to guarantee efficient communication during a seismology or other disaster.
“We must find alternatives for communication when there is a disaster,” he added.
Four main pillars of the emergency telecommunication roadmap
This roadmap will be built upon a thorough assessment and organised around four main pillars: Monitoring and Evaluation, Disaster Preparedness, Response and Relief, and Communication Systems.
The NCA’s primary responsibility will be to fortify the communications infrastructure needed to issue timely alerts, guaranteeing that vital information reaches the public and pertinent agencies promptly.
The program, promoted by the United Nations (UN) through the World Food Programme (WFP), seeks to facilitate prompt and efficient responses before, during, and after natural disasters.
NCA’s efforts to enhance security in mobile money operations
The Director General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Rev. Ing. Edmund Fianko, recently revealed that the NCA and the Bank of Ghana (BoG) will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a standardised policy for regulating mobile money operations in Ghana.
This action was proposed at a vital stakeholder meeting hosted at the NCA Tower by the National Communications Authority (NCA) to promote security, trust, and regulatory cooperation within Ghana’s Digital Financial Services (DFS) ecosystem.
He clarified that these actions aim to protect the integrity of financial systems and to plug any gaps that malicious actors might exploit.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the National Identification Authority (NIA), and the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) were among the critical organisations that attended the meeting to discuss ways to boost public trust in mobile money and other digital payment systems.
An Act of Parliament, Act 524, created the National Communications Authority (NCA) in December 1996. This Act has since been repealed and replaced by the National Communications Authority Act, 2008 (Act 769).
The Authority is the statutory body that grants licenses and oversees the nation’s electronic communications services and operations.