Ghana Notifies Togo of Plan to Seek International Arbitration Over Maritime Boundary Dispute

• Ghana has formally notified Togo of its decision to pursue international arbitration to resolve their long-standing maritime boundary dispute
• The move followed eight years of unsuccessful bilateral negotiations and recent tensions over offshore oil exploration activities
• Government said the decision is aimed at ensuring an amicable resolution while preserving the strong diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries

Ghana has officially informed the Government of Togo of its decision to seek international arbitration to delimit the maritime boundary between the two West African neighbouring countries.

A statement issued on Friday, February 20, 2026, by the Minister for Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, stated that the boundary dispute would be determined through recourse to arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“Ghana has taken this step in order to avoid an escalation of incidents that have created tensions between some of our institutions and to promote an amicable resolution, thereby contributing to the continued good relations between our two countries,” the statement read.

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The maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Togo over offshore oil exploration began between December 2017 and May 2018, when Togolese authorities prevented two Ghanaian seismic vessels from conducting deep-sea data acquisition in an area near Togo’s waters.

The development came shortly after the resolution of Ghana’s maritime boundary dispute with Côte d’Ivoire, after which Togo began asserting claims over a boundary area approaching its territory.

The Ghanaian government explained in a statement that its decision to seek resolution through international arbitration follows eight years of unsuccessful bilateral negotiations with Togo.

Read the Facebook post below:

Ghanaians welcome gov’t decision to seek arbitration

Ghanaians who came across the statement released by Felix Kwakye Ofosu thronged the comment section to share their views, with many welcoming the government’s decision to seek international arbitration over the maritime boundary dispute with Togo.

YEN.com.gh compiled a few of the comments below:

@Koku Mawuli Nanegbe said:

"That's proactivity. We thank HE John Mahama led govt over this initiative."

@Clement Amole also said:

"Why is it that it's only the NDC that cares about our boundary issues? We did it with Ivory Coast so shall it be in the case of Togo. Marietta Brew readily comes to mind."

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@Ennomis Menzs commented:

"So Africans are basically saying that they can't understand each other until the so-called Whiteman speaks. Cry oohh cry."

@Erickson Governor also commented:

"A step towards the right direction, we can't continue to be intimidated by a small country called Togo, it's either they comply or we take the bull by the horn. Enough!."

Mahama signs 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that President John Dramani Mahama formally signed the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill, 2025, into law on February 19, 2026.

The law aims to align public and private sector efforts, address infrastructure and regulatory needs, and attract investment.

President Mahama called the bill a flagship strategy for economic transformation and called for implementation to be quick.

Source: YEN.com.gh