The Ghana Boundary Commission has deployed advanced drone technology and geospatial mapping systems to modernize the country’s international border management, marking a significant shift from outdated paper based methods to digital precision tools.
Commissioner General Brigadier General Anthony Ntem revealed that the newly introduced drone systems can capture centimetre level accurate data, enabling creation of high resolution, three dimensional digital models of Ghana’s borders. He described the innovation as building a digital twin of the country’s boundary lines, an advanced tool supporting more precise monitoring, mapping and dispute resolution.
The initiative emerged from a two day orientation workshop that evolved beyond basic drone introduction into what participants called a shared journey of discovery and collaboration. Officials, technicians and representatives from various institutions engaged in practical sessions covering drone handling, data collection, mapping integration and interpretation of geospatial imagery.
Brigadier General Ntem stressed that boundary management across much of Africa has long relied on outdated methods that are slow, labour intensive and vulnerable to human error. He noted that paper maps deteriorate easily, ground surveys often take weeks to complete, and navigating dense terrain across the subregion remains a major challenge for field teams. These limitations have frequently slowed down demarcation efforts and complicated border monitoring activities.
Modern technology offers a faster, more accurate and more reliable way of understanding and managing borders, the Commissioner General emphasized. He revealed that the Commission intends to broaden the training programme to benefit more institutions and experts beyond Ghana’s borders.
The Commission is preparing to offer intensive regional training sessions for interested participants from across the continent, covering not only drone operations but also a range of modern tools essential for international boundary management. These include digital mapping systems, geospatial analysis and advanced survey technologies that can transform how African nations manage their territorial integrity.
Officials say integrating drones and high end geospatial tools into boundary work will significantly boost border security, improve the accuracy of boundary demarcation and support peaceful coexistence among neighbouring countries. The technology will also enhance early detection of encroachment, illegal activities and environmental changes along boundary lines, enabling faster and more informed responses.
Ghana shares land boundaries totaling approximately 2,209 kilometers with three neighbors: Togo at 789 kilometers, Burkina Faso at 556 kilometers and Côte d’Ivoire at 661 kilometers. The country also maintains maritime boundaries with Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Nigeria, creating complex management challenges that traditional methods struggled to address effectively.
The Commission previously received surveillance drones in 2022 from Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, valued at approximately $400,000, to support maritime boundary monitoring in collaboration with the Ghana Navy. Those earlier drones featured vertical take off and landing capabilities, flying time of 410 minutes and maximum altitude of 4,000 meters.
The current deployment represents an expansion of technological capacity beyond maritime applications to comprehensive land boundary management. The Commission’s establishment under Act 795 of Parliament in 2010 aimed to address the increasingly complex nature of Ghana’s international boundaries within frameworks of international law, peace and security.
The initiative forms part of Ghana’s broader efforts to modernize public sector operations through digital transformation and to position the country as a leader in innovative and peaceful boundary management across Africa. The Commission has already gained continental recognition for its expertise, having provided mentorship to boundary commissions in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Southern African Development Community countries in 2024.
The training programme reflects growing acknowledgment that modern border security requires sophisticated tools capable of providing real time intelligence and detailed spatial information. Field teams can now complete in hours what previously required weeks of ground surveys, while maintaining higher accuracy standards and reducing risks to personnel operating in challenging terrain.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
