Traditional Authorities and Human Security Promotion in Northern Ghana

This study examined the contribution of Traditional Authorities to promoting human security in Ghana, focusing specifically on the Wa Metropolis in the Upper West Region. Despite constitutional recognition of chieftaincy and the enduring influence of traditional leaders in Ghanaian communities, their roles in human security have received limited systematic attention, particularly in northern Ghana where hybrid security arrangements operate differently from southern contexts. The study is guided by four main objectives: to examine traditional authorities’ contributions to economic security; to assess their contributions to community security; to evaluate their contributions to personal security; and to determine the overall effectiveness of their contributions in promoting human security. Using a qualitative research approach grounded in interpretivist philosophy, the study employs a case study design and will collect data through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, document review, and observation with Traditional Authorities, community members, and key informants including officials from the Municipal Assembly and Ghana Police Service. Adopting hybrid governance and social capital theories as analytical frameworks, the study seeks to capture the nuanced, context-specific ways in which chiefs, queen mothers, and traditional councils contribute to human security in the Wa Metropolis. The findings are expected to provide empirical evidence to inform policy on integrating traditional authorities into formal security frameworks, contribute to academic literature on hybrid governance in Africa, and offer practical insights for development practitioners and community stakeholders. The study contributes to understanding how traditional institutions can be effectively leveraged alongside state structures to address the multifaceted security challenges facing communities in northern Ghana, with implications for broader debates on governance, security, and development in the African context.