The National Peace Council (NPC) has launched the Development and Resilience Index Against Violent Extremism (DRIVE Index) to deepen Ghana’s commitment to peace, stability, and democratic resilience.
The initiative, unveiled on Tuesday in Accra, is being implemented in collaboration with key partners, including the governments of the United Kingdom and Norway, as well as Resilience for Peace.
It aligns with Ghana’s existing policy frameworks, notably the National Framework for preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism.
Speaking at the launch, Chairman of the NPC Governing Board, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, described the DRIVE Index as more than a research exercise, noting that it is a cutting-edge, evidence-based decision-making tool.
According to him, the index is designed to help the state and its partners better understand the factors that make communities either resilient to or vulnerable to violent extremist influence.
He explained that by integrating community perceptions, psychosocial dynamics, governance indicators, and development realities, the DRIVE Index provides clear, localised, and actionable data to inform targeted prevention and response strategies.
Most Rev. Fianu noted that in light of the cross-border security risks confronting northern Ghana, the DRIVE Index offers a dual benefit.
“It supports focused prevention in at-risk areas while also serving as a national tool for monitoring social cohesion, democratic confidence, and early warning signs of instability,” he said.
He further disclosed that a proposed pilot phase of the index, scheduled to run from October 2025 to June 2026, will place strong emphasis on co-creation, national ownership, and broad institutional participation.
The initiative, he added, presents Ghana with an opportunity to consolidate its strengths, address emerging vulnerabilities, and demonstrate leadership in data-driven peacebuilding across the West African sub-regions.
The Head of Governance and Inclusive Growth at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dr Edward Apratwum, emphasised the close link between sustainable peace, security, and social development, and reaffirmed UNDP’s support for the DRIVE Index initiative.
Judith Twumwaa, ISD
