Parliament has approved the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025, following its third reading, ushering in major reforms to Ghana’s national security architecture.

A key feature of the new law is the renaming of the National Investigations Bureau(NIB) back to the Bureau of National Intelligence(BNI).

Government says the move is intended to end persistent public confusion with the similarly abbreviated National Investment Bank (NIB).

The legislation also abolishes the position of Minister for National Security.

Under the new arrangement, oversight responsibility for the National Security Coordinator will be assigned to a Minister appointed by the President, rather than through a dedicated Ministry.

Defending the reforms during earlier debates, Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak said closer alignment of national security coordination with the Presidency would streamline operations and reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.

According to him, the previous structure often led to overlaps and tensions between the National Security Minister and the Coordinator, undermining efficiency.

However, the Minority strongly opposed the Bill.

Led by Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Caucus warned that the new framework could result in an overconcentration of power.

The Minority Leader argued that the changes grant excessive authority to the National Security Coordinator without sufficient checks and balances, raising concerns about weakened parliamentary oversight.

He also questioned the rationale behind the reforms, stating that the accompanying memorandum did not adequately demonstrate deficiencies in the existing system.

Despite the objections, the Bill was passed, paving the way for a more centralised national security structure.