More than 720 people walked through the commercial corridors of Tamale, Kumasi and Accra last December in a coordinated campaign to push back against Ghana’s shadow economy, a grassroots response to a problem that costs the country tens of billions of dollars each year.
The Nationwide Anti-Illicit Trade Road Walk Awareness and Education Campaign, organised by the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI) in partnership with government agencies and civil society groups, ran from December 1 to 20, 2025. It drew more than double its initial target of 300 participants, with officials from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joining health professionals, students, market traders and community volunteers along the route.
The scale of what the campaign was pushing back against is well established. A Global Financial Integrity report published last year found that Ghana lost approximately $54.1 billion to illicit financial flows between 2013 and 2022, with trade misinvoicing identified as the dominant mechanism. Roughly 28 percent of the country’s total trade value over that decade was implicated in illicit flows, a share above the regional average of 24 percent.
ILAPI Chief Executive Officer Peter Bismark Kwofie said the campaign was designed to shift the conversation from institutions to streets. “This campaign was designed to take the conversation directly to the streets and markets, where the impact of illicit trade is most deeply felt,” he said. Smuggled goods, undervalued imports and counterfeit products do not simply deprive the state of customs revenue, he argued. They crowd out legitimate businesses, weaken employment and expose consumers to health risks from unregulated pharmaceuticals, food items, alcohol and tobacco.
The walks were deliberately routed through busy trading zones in all three cities to maximise direct engagement with the people most affected. Participants distributed information materials and spoke with traders and transport operators about the economic and health consequences of purchasing or facilitating the movement of illicit goods. Organisers noted that Accra recorded the highest turnout, which they interpreted as a sign of rising public awareness of how shadow trade undermines livelihoods.
Inter-agency participation was a defining feature. Police escorts ensured safety throughout the walks, while regulatory agencies used the platform to explain existing enforcement laws and citizens’ rights and responsibilities. Mr. Kwofie said the level of institutional cooperation demonstrated what coordinated action looks like in practice. “Awareness is the first line of defence against illicit markets, and this initiative has laid a solid foundation for sustained action,” he said.
ILAPI said it will continue to advocate for policies supporting legitimate trade and will push for strengthened inter-agency coordination as the next phase of the campaign develops. The organisation has called on government, business associations and community groups to build on the momentum the roadshows generated.
The campaign arrives as the Mahama administration has signalled a renewed focus on trade compliance and border enforcement, with the GRA tasked with significantly increasing domestic revenue collections in 2026.
