On March 22, 2022, Ghana’s Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, chaired the opening of a three-day briefing event on the West Africa Police Information System (WAPIS) at the Police Headquarters Conference Room in Accra. Attendees included the ECOWAS Resident Representative, EU Delegation Head Irchad Razaaly, INTERPOL WAPIS Programme Head Richard Gotwe, and representatives from ECOWAS and EU member states. “This briefing… aims to raise awareness among law enforcement agencies on the role and use of WAPIS,” the Ghana Police Service stated, emphasizing its importance for enhancing national security.
Purpose and Impact of WAPIS
The WAPIS Programme, launched in 2012 with EU funding and INTERPOL implementation, supports 15 ECOWAS countries—Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo—plus Mauritania and Chad. “The objective… is to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies… to fight criminal threats effectively,” per INTERPOL, by improving data collection, analysis, and sharing via INTERPOL’s I-24/7 system. Ghana’s Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, noted, “The event is aimed at increasing awareness… and will encourage its use by our numerous stakeholders.”
Successes and Connectivity
WAPIS Ghana’s Data Collection and Registration Centre (DACORE) reported 18,027 convicts in its database, including 4,800 foreigners, per the 2022 briefing. Notable successes include a May 27, 2021, case where WAPIS confirmed a suspect’s 40-year sentence, aiding CID investigations. On March 3, 2022, a request from INTERPOL Sierra Leone identified evidence against a fraud suspect. “The completion of the Wide Area Network (WAPIS-WAN) has extended WAPIS database to stakeholders,” enabling direct data input by the Ghana Police Service, Prisons Service, Immigration Service, and Narcotics Control Commission, speeding up investigations and prosecutions.
Stakeholder Support and Future Plans
EU Delegation Head Irchad Razaaly praised Ghana’s law enforcement, stating, “The EU-financed WAPIS Programme is helping Ghana and other ECOWAS states to take advantage of digitalization.” The ECOWAS Representative emphasized its alignment with the regional security strategy. With the program set to transition to ECOWAS by June 2022, Minister Dery urged member states to meet deadlines and sought partners’ support to extend the initiative. “Resources invested… would be futile if the system were not used,” Dampare warned, stressing the need for active engagement to combat transnational crime.
Regional and Global Context
WAPIS, initiated after a 2010 West African Police Chiefs meeting, addresses rising threats like drug trafficking and terrorism. “Reliable information… is at the heart of successful detection, investigation, and prosecution,” per the briefing. By 2022, WAPIS had digitized police data in pilot countries like Ghana, with a regional platform planned under ECOWAS. “WAPIS has become an essential tool for law enforcement officers in Ghana,” Gotwe noted. The program’s success in Ghana, including 45 security personnel trained in September 2021, sets a model for regional cooperation, though challenges like legal frameworks persist, per a 2020 ECOWAS report.
