In the northern fringes of Ghana, the hum of daily life carries both promise and uncertainty. Traders open their stalls at dawn, farmers study the skies, and miners head out in search of opportunity. Yet across many parts of West Africa, those simple routines are being disrupted by a growing storm — one that blends insecurity, climate stress, and shrinking economic prospects.
At the West Africa Mining Security Conference (WAMS) in Accra, the message was clear: the region’s stability is at a crossroads. As terrorism, violent extremism, and illegal mining tighten their grip on parts of the Sahel and beyond, the economic and human toll is becoming impossible to ignore.
When insecurity meets everyday life
What began as isolated incidents of violence has now evolved into a web of insecurity stretching from the Sahel down to the Gulf of Guinea. Families are leaving farms; schools in some border communities operate sporadically. For miners and their families, insecurity has become a daily calculation — whether to go to work, whether the road to town is safe, whether the next season will bring drought or flood.
“It’s not just about safety anymore,” one participant at the conference remarked. “It’s about survival — of jobs, of communities, of hope.”
Speakers from governments, the mining industry, and development partners emphasized that the region’s security challenges cannot be solved by force alone. They require investments that reach people where they live — in their farms, their markets, and their villages.
The link between climate, food, and stability
Australia’s Counter Terrorism Ambassador, Gemma Huggins, connected those dots in her remarks at the conference.
“Australia’s development investments in climate resilient agriculture and food security, including the new Africa Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture (AAPCRA), will bolster Africa’s ability to withstand the escalating impacts of climate change and combat food security. And in doing so, address some of the key factors in creating fertile ground for radicalization and terrorism.”
Her point resonated deeply with many in attendance. Across northern Ghana, Niger, and Burkina Faso, erratic rainfall and soil degradation have slashed yields, driving youth to seek work elsewhere — often in the informal mining sector or, in worst cases, into the hands of extremist recruiters.
In that context, climate-resilient agriculture becomes more than a development issue; it becomes a stability strategy.
Mining, governance, and trust
Australia’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Berenice Owen-Jones, also underscored the need for balance — between investment and inclusion, between profit and people. “Security, transparency, and local partnerships are all vital for the mining sector to thrive,” she said.
Experts agreed that the solution lies not just in more patrols or fences but in rebuilding trust — ensuring that mining revenues translate into local development, that environmental impacts are mitigated, and that communities see tangible benefits.
That trust, many argued, is what ultimately insulates societies from instability.
Investing in people
As the conference closed, participants reflected on the hard truth that West Africa’s mineral wealth alone cannot secure its future. What will make the difference are the choices made now — to invest in people, in education, in livelihoods that endure.
Initiatives like AAPCRA, led by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), speak directly to that need. By helping farmers adapt to changing climates, increase yields, and improve income, AAPCRA gives communities a stake in peace — and a reason to resist the pull of violence or despair.
Turning the tide
For now, the region remains on edge. But amid the uncertainty, there are reasons for hope — in the farmers experimenting with drought-resistant crops, in the miners pushing for safer working conditions, and in the growing recognition that security begins with resilience.