Ghana’s Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Lt Gen William Agyapong, underscored the urgent need for increased support to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), describing it as a critical institution for sustaining Ghana’s global reputation in peacekeeping and security training.
During a familiarisation visit to the Centre on Monday, June 16, 2025, the CDS commended KAIPTC’s contributions to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the broader peace and security landscape, citing the Elsie Initiative as a standout example. The programme, implemented at KAIPTC, has advanced gender diversity in Ghana’s peacekeeping deployments and contributed to Ghana producing two winners of the UN Gender Advocate Award.
Lt Gen Agyapong acknowledged KAIPTC’s impact at operational and policy levels but called for a sharper focus on tactical and command-level training. He recommended reviewing some existing courses to ensure officers deployed at command levels are fully equipped to meet evolving challenges.
A major concern raised during the visit was the Centre’s overreliance on dwindling donor support. Lt Gen Agyapong admitted that funding shortfalls are a widespread challenge across the Armed Forces but pledged to brief the President of Ghana on the need to prioritize KAIPTC under the government’s “Big Push” agenda.
“The Centre plays a pivotal role in Ghana’s peace and security capacity. It must be sustained,” he stressed, while also urging management to address Advisory Council concerns about prudent use of funds.
Presenting KAIPTC’s academic outlook, Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr Kwaku Danso, highlighted efforts to expand programmes as a pathway to financial sustainability. New offerings in Electoral Policy and Security, Development and Security, and Executive studies in Gender, Peace, and Security are in development. Plans also include undergraduate programmes, distance learning, and regional campuses in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and across Ghana.
However, Dr Danso cautioned that infrastructural challenges—such as inadequate lecture rooms and an incomplete six-storey academic block begun in 2016—continue to limit student intake and threaten programme delivery.
Adding to the discussions, KAIPTC Consultant Prof Kwesi Aning delivered an assessment of West Africa’s security trajectory, warning of worsening instability due to poor political leadership and persistent intelligence failures. He stressed that KAIPTC, if adequately resourced, could play a stronger role in shaping regional responses.
Acting Commandant, Air Commodore David Akrong, welcomed the CDS’s visit as a timely opportunity to showcase the Centre’s achievements and challenges. He announced that KAIPTC would host the 2025 Challenges Forum in October and appealed for support to highlight Ghana’s peacekeeping contributions on that global stage.