Authorities plan to revert the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) under the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025, as part of a broader overhaul of Ghana’s security system.
Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka said the update seeks to clear up confusion with the National Investment Bank, which shares the same NIB acronym and creates inconsistencies in legal references.
During a Parliamentary session on January 19, he emphasized that the renaming aligns Ghana with global standards, where intelligence agencies maintain unique acronyms to avoid ambiguity. “The previous acronym often caused uncertainty between a financial institution and a security body. BNI provides clarity,” Muntaka stated.
The legislation further suggests removing the formal post of Minister for National Security, allowing the President to assign oversight of the National Security Coordinator to a designated Cabinet member.
Opposition leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin criticized the proposal, cautioning that it could centralize power within the security sector and threaten citizens’ rights.