The Influence of Economic Intelligence Capabilities on Economic Security in Ghana

Threats to economic security have surged, prompting nations to prioritize economic intelligence sharing. Ghana has grappled with economic security challenges from the post-2008 global economic downturn and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, leading its government to ramp up economic intelligence efforts. Research conducted on the implications of economic intelligence sharing and economic security in Ghana sought to analyse the essential components of economic intelligence crucial for enhancing economic security, examine the interplay between economic intelligence and economic security, and assess the impact of economic intelligence capabilities on economic security in Ghana. The study, which was a cross-sectional survey in design, was anchored on economic security theory, just intelligence theory, and general systems theory. The target population was 1,168 officers from the government and an NGO. Out of this population, a sample size of 298 officers was purposively selected to participate in the study. Data were collected by questionnaires and key informant interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using ordinal logistic regression and thematic analysis, respectively. From the findings, ordinal logistic regression revealed that financial capacity (β = 1.43, p p = 0.024, OR = 1.98) significantly influenced economic security, while political capital (β = 0.18, p = 0.058) was not significant. This paper is a detailed presentation of the study findings on the influence of economic intelligence capabilities on economic security in Ghana.