Ghana’s legislature, has voted in favour of a significant reform of the country’s security architecture with the passage of the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025, signalling major changes to how national intelligence is structured and overseen.
The new law, approved by Members of Parliament on March 18, 2026, introduces sweeping updates to Ghana’s internal security framework. One of the most notable revisions is the restoration of the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI), the intelligence agency’s former name, replacing the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) designation that had been in use.
Under the updated legislation, the office of the Minister for National Security has been dissolved, with the responsibility to provide oversight for national security matters now delegated to a minister appointed directly by the President. This change is intended to clarify reporting lines and improve coordination within the security apparatus.
In addition to renaming key agencies and adjusting supervisory structures, the bill establishes a comprehensive legal basis for how the National Security Council and various intelligence bodies operate, including the formation of Regional and District Security Councils to strengthen security coordination at local levels.
A central feature of the reforms is the formal recognition of the Office of the National Security Coordinator as a core entity within the security and intelligence ecosystem. Proponents argue that this will help streamline operations and enhance the effectiveness of intelligence gathering and analysis.
The legislation also repeals the previous Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2020 (Act 1030), replacing it with this updated framework designed to better reflect current government policy on national security.
Debate over the bill’s merits stretched over several weeks, with some lawmakers raising concerns about potential implications for executive power and oversight mechanisms during earlier stages of the process. However, the majority of legislators ultimately endorsed the bill as a necessary modernization of Ghana’s