Ghana has become the 36th country globally—and the fifth in Africa—to adopt the AMBER Alert system, a digital tool designed to support the swift recovery of missing or abducted children.
The system, now live on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, was officially launched through a partnership between the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service and tech company Meta.
The AMBER Alert system, introduced globally in 2015, has played a role in recovering over 1,200 missing children worldwide. Ghana’s implementation represents a significant step forward in child protection efforts, particularly in improving the speed and reach of information dissemination during missing child cases.
At the launch event in Accra yesterday, the Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, emphasized the importance of the initiative in strengthening national responses to child abduction cases.
“It is with the highest honour and deep gratitude that I stand before you today as we introduce the AMBER Alert System in Ghana,” she said.
“This marks a new dawn in our collective effort to safeguard children and to bring them back quickly when they go missing.”
She added that the system enables real-time engagement between law enforcement and the public, increasing the likelihood of safe recoveries. “Since its inception four years ago, the Missing Persons Unit has managed to reunite 393 children with their families. Behind each reunion is a life reclaimed, a family restored, and a community made whole.”
COP Donkor stressed that the success of the system will require broad public cooperation: “The effectiveness of this system cannot rest on the shoulders of the police alone. It will require the active involvement of parents, guardians, community leaders, media, and all citizens. We must remain vigilant and committed to our children’s safety.”
The AMBER Alert programme operates by pushing emergency alerts with details of missing children to users’ feeds on Meta’s platforms. Once the Police determine that a reported disappearance meets specific criteria—including that the child is 17 or younger, is believed to be in imminent danger, and there is enough descriptive information—the alert is triggered and sent to people in targeted search zones.
Kojo Boakye, Vice President of Public Policy at Meta for Africa, the Middle East, and Türkiye, said the decision to expand the AMBER Alert programme to Messenger, in addition to Facebook and Instagram, enhances the ability to reach more people during critical moments.
“We know the chances of recovering a missing child increase when more people are aware and can assist,” he said. “This launch in Ghana, our fifth African country, alongside the expansion to Messenger, reflects our deep commitment to child safety and to building safer communities across Africa and beyond.”
He added: “Every minute counts when a child goes missing. By reaching people across these platforms, we demonstrate the power of technology and our dedication to supporting law enforcement agencies.”
Detective Dunstan Guba, Cybersecurity Expert and AMBER Alert Ghana Team Lead, outlined how the system will function within the Ghana Police Service.
“The Ghana Police Service has a dedicated 24/7 AMBER Alert Team made up of trained investigators on the system, coordinated by our Missing Persons Unit,” he said.
“We are fully equipped to send prompt alerts to the public when necessary and to conduct swift, thorough investigations to bring missing children home safely.”
He noted that once an alert is activated, the Ghana Police Service notifies Meta’s Global Security Operations Centre, which operates around the clock. Meta then disseminates the alert across the designated platforms to users within the search area.
He emphasized that each AMBER Alert will be issued in a standardized template that includes contact information for the Ghana Police Service’s Missing Persons Unit (MPU), emergency hotlines—191 and 18555—and a direct link to the official Police website, www.police.gov.gh.
He further clarified that the alert is not shareable by users and is distributed exclusively by Meta through its platforms.
The AMBER Alert system is designed to operate during what is known as the “Golden Hour”—the first few hours following a child’s disappearance, when the chances of a safe recovery are highest. By leveraging Meta’s digital reach, the system aims to engage more people and generate timely leads.
Originally launched on Facebook, the AMBER Alert system was extended to Instagram in 2022. Ghana now joins Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Morocco in implementing the system in Africa.
Meta says it will continue to invest in tools that support law enforcement and enhance child safety across its platforms.
A representative from Meta summarized the programme’s goal succinctly: “This is about protecting lives. We urge all Ghanaians to join us in keeping our children safe.”
