The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) on Wednesday, September 4, 2025, held a closing ceremony for the year-long project “Support to Strengthen Capacities for Promoting Efficiency in the Implementation of the Accra Initiative in West Africa and the Sahel.”
The initiative, financed by the Government of Japan and carried out in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), focused on equipping regional actors with enhanced skills, encouraging cross-border collaboration, and improving preparedness to counter terrorism and violent extremism.
The seven member states of the Accra Initiative — Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Mali, and Niger — participated in the programme, with Nigeria involved as a strategic observer.
The ceremony brought together high-ranking security officials, diplomats, academics, and peace and security experts from across the subregion.
Notable speakers included the Deputy Commandant of KAIPTC, Brigadier General Zibrim Bawah Ayorrogo; the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Hiroshi Yoshimoto; and the UNDP Ghana Deputy Resident Representative, Ms. Shaima Hussien.
In his remarks, Brigadier General Ayorrogo lauded the collective effort that made the project a success.
He highlighted that tailored training programmes, robust research outputs, and enriched policy dialogues had improved both regional cooperation and operational readiness against emerging threats.
He also emphasized the importance of sustaining the momentum through stronger bilateral and multilateral partnerships.
Ambassador Yoshimoto reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to African-led peace and security initiatives, describing the project as proof of the importance of coordinated responses to cross-border threats.
He referenced Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s 2022 visit to Ghana as evidence of Japan’s sustained engagement with the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea regions.
Ms. Hussien of UNDP Ghana stressed the urgency of such collaborations, citing the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, which revealed that the Sahel region now accounts for more than half of global terrorism-related incidents.
She praised Japan’s support and KAIPTC’s leadership, describing the project as a vital step in addressing insecurity across the subregion.
The closing of the project was marked not only as a milestone in strengthening regional security but also as a call for continued commitment, with leaders at the event underscoring the need to build on the progress achieved in order to effectively confront the escalating threats facing West Africa and the Sahel.
