Kudus Research and Advocacy Center a Ghanaian based organization who is into social science research democracy, constitutional rule and poverty alleviation would like to share an insight on these coming festive seasons as the festive season starts from December to January through to April. And for the purpose of this piece we would be looking at festive season in Ghana, most patronized items Cybersecurity and Transportation in relation to road accidents for during festive season our initial findings suggest are the most concern issues in Ghana hence the need to look into these issues to sensitize the people on them.
Ghana's main festive season, especially known as "Detty December," happens in December and includes Christmas celebrations with elaborate decorations, music, and traditional family meals. This period is also a major time for cultural events and festivals across the country, attracting many Ghanaians who return home and visitors from around the world for music, food, and cultural showcases.The Christmas season or the festive season, also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from November or December to early January incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The gift-giving associated with the season creates a peak season for the retail sector extending to the end of the period ("January sales"). Christmas window displays and Christmas tree lighting ceremonies are customary traditions in various locales. Aside the Christian celebrations Muslims also celebrate the Eid al- Fitr within this period that begins with Ramadan fasting expected to start from February 17,2026 to March 19, 2026 then the Eid al -Fitr which is either 19th or 20th March 2026 of which is characterized with buying and selling especially basic groceries like sugar milk tea rice oil clothing among others then after it through to April Easter festive including Good Friday on April 3rd and Easter Monday on April 6th also takes over but that doesn’t end there in May 27th to 30th Muslim again celebrates the Eid ul A dha that’s how the peak festive period of Ghana spans. Aside these festivals celebrated generally by Ghanaians national tribal traditional and other festivals are celebrated in Ghana
Key aspects of the festive season in Ghana : "Detty December": A term for the month of December, which is packed with cultural events, music concerts, and parties. Christmas: A major celebration marked by traditional ceremonies, carols, and elaborate decorations. Families gather for festive meals that include dishes like fufu, rice, chicken, goat, or lamb. Cultural celebrations: Many festivals and events are held throughout the year, but the festive season sees a concentration of activities that highlight Ghana's rich cultural heritage. Return of diaspora: Many Ghanaians living abroad return home for the holidays, creating a vibrant atmosphere of reunion, celebration, and community. Support for local economy: The festive season is also a time when there is an emphasis on supporting local businesses and artisans.
During Ghana's festive season, the most patronized items include food items like Jollof rice, chicken, and other staples, as well as Christmas hampers filled with goodies. Additionally, there is high demand for new clothing, particularly children's wear, and decorative items like carvings, masks, and other souvenirs.
Food and drinks: Jollof Rice: A festive staple served with chicken or fish. Other food: Rice, chicken, goat, lamb, and fufu are all highly demanded. Christmas Hampers: A very popular gift item given by individuals and companies. Clothing and accessories: Children's wear: A top selling category as parents buy new clothes for their children.Apparel: General clothing, including outfits made from fabrics like Ankara, is also highly sought after. Decorations and souvenirs : Carvings and Masks: Decorative items made from wood are a popular choice for both decoration and as gifts. Souvenirs: Various traditional crafts and souvenirs are in high demand during the holidays. The Pew Research Center found that as of 2014, 72% of Americans support the presence of Christian Christmas decorations, such as the nativity scene, on government property; of that 72%, "survey data finds that a plurality (44%) of Americans say Christian symbols, such as nativity scenes, should be allowed on government property even if they are not accompanied by symbols from other faiths."Six in ten Americans attend church services during Christmastime, and "among those who don't attend church at Christmastime, a majority (57%) say they would likely attend if someone they knew invited them.
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center also looked into Medical analyses of festive season not only in Ghana but the said period in generality everywhere. Various studies have been performed on the effects of the Christmas and holiday season, which encompasses several feast days, on health. They have concluded that the health changes that occur during the Christmas and holiday season are not reversed during the rest of the year and have a long-term cumulative effect over a person's life, and that the risks of several medical problems increase during the Christmas and holiday season.
Alcohol: Heavy drinking significantly increases during December, particularly around Christmas and New Year's, leading to a rise in alcohol sales, consumption, and related harmful events and deaths.Because of increased alcohol consumption at festivities and poorer road conditions during the winter months or festive period, alcohol-related road traffic collisions increase over the Christmas and holiday season.
Nutrition :Yanovski et al.investigated the assertion that the average American gains weight over the season. They found that average weight gain over the Christmas and holiday season is around 0.48 kilograms (1.1 lb). They also found that this weight gain is not reversed over the rest of the year, and concluded that this "probably contributes to the increase in body weight that frequently occurs during adulthood" (cf Lent). Research indicates that adults who weigh themselves daily with access to their weight graph tended to avoid holiday weight gain however, self-weighing tends to decrease during the holiday season.Self-monitoring diet (e.g., food, calories, and fat) and physical activity each day helps adults avoid weight gain during the holidays.
Chan et al. investigated the increases in A1C and fasting plasma glucose in type 2 diabetic patients, to see whether these increases were steady throughout the year or varied seasonally. They concluded that the winter holidays did influence the glycemic control of the patients, with the largest increases being during that period, increases that "might not be reversed during the summer and autumn months".
The Christmas and holiday season, according to a survey by the ADA, is the second most popular reason, after birthdays, for sharing food in the workplace. The British Columbia Safety Council states that if proper food safety procedures are not followed, food set out for sharing in the workplace can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria, and recommends that perishable foods (for which it gives pizza, cold cuts, dips, salads, and sandwiches as examples) should not sit out for more than 2 hours.
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center also looked into Other issues relating to the festive season: A survey conducted in 2005 found shopping caused headaches in nearly a quarter of people and sleeplessness in 11 percent. Phillips et al.investigated whether some or all of the spike in cardiac mortality that occurs during December and January could be ascribed to the Christmas/New Year's holidays rather than to climatic factors. They concluded that the Christmas and holiday season is "a risk factor for cardiac and non-cardiac mortality", stating that there are "multiple explanations for this association, including the possibility that holiday-induced delays in seeking treatment play a role in producing the twin holiday spikes". The Asthma Society of Canada states that the Christmas and holiday season increases exposure to irritants because people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, and that seasonal decorations in the home introduce additional, further, irritants beyond the ones that exist all year around. It recommends that asthmatics avoid scented candles, for example, recommending either that candles not be lit or that soy or beeswax candles be used.
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center also looked into Other impact and effects of these festive seasons. According to the Stanford Recycling Center Americans throw away 25 percent more trash during the Christmas and holiday season than at other times of the year the situation not far different in Ghana already poor waste management systems. Because of the cold weather in the Northern Hemisphere, the Christmas and holiday season (as well as the second half of winter) is a time of increased use of fuel for domestic heating. This has prompted concerns in the United Kingdom about the possibility of a shortage in the domestic gas supply. However, in the event of an exceptionally long cold season, it is industrial users, signed on to interruptible supply contracts, who would find themselves without gas supply. The U.S. Fire Administration states that the Christmas and holiday season is "a time of elevated risk for winter heating fires" and that the fact that many people celebrate the different holidays during the Christmas and holiday season by decorating their homes with seasonal garlands, electric lights, candles, and banners, has the potential to change the profile of fire incidence and cause. The Government of Alberta Ministry of Municipal Affairs states that candle-related fires rise by 140 percent during the Christmas and holiday season, with most fires involving human error and most deaths and injuries resulting from the failure to extinguish candles before going to bed. It states that consumers don't expect candle holders to tip over or to catch fire, assuming that they are safe, but that in fact candle holders can do this.
Now Kudus Research And Advocacy Center shift focus to the Cyber space where we looked into Ghana cyber space the insecurities unsuspecting Ghanaian always face during festive season ranging from promotions by telecommunication networks brands foods staff groceries and other products and services in the Market. Ghana faces significant cyber insecurities, primarily driven by online fraud like mobile money scams, phishing, and fake investments, which are increasing at an alarming rate. Other insecurities include cyberbullying, data breaches, and a lack of public awareness, while the country's vulnerability is compounded by issues like e-waste containing sensitive data. To combat this, the government is strengthening its regulatory framework by proposing amendments to the Cybersecurity Act and creating a Cybersecurity Fund. Key cyber insecurities in Ghana includes :Online fraud: This is the most common type of cybercrime in Ghana, with the highest losses coming from mobile money scams, phishing, and fake investment schemes. Cyberbullying: This is a prevalent issue, disproportionately affecting women and youth. E-waste vulnerability: The country's e-waste sites are a source of sensitive information, as criminals can recover old hard drives to blackmail victims. Data breaches: These and other sophisticated attacks are a growing concern. Lack of public awareness: There is a need for increased public awareness regarding reporting cyber incidents and protecting personal information online.
The Government and regulatory response of Ghana came out with various forms of measure to counter them these includes : Cybersecurity Authority (CSA): The CSA is working to enhance Ghana's digital resilience and is proposing amendments to the 2020 Cybersecurity Act to gain more authority in investigating and prosecuting cybercrimes. Cybersecurity Fund: A national fund is being established to ensure long-term financing for cybersecurity programs.Law enforcement: The Ghana Police Service's Cyber Crime Unit works to investigate and prosecute cybercrimes, with support for online child abuse cases. Ghana is ramping up efforts to secure its digital space as cyber threats intensify across Africa, where online crimes have caused more than $3 billion in losses between 2019 and 2025, according to Interpol.
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center also looked into the Financial impact of these festive seasons or period in Ghana and we come to realization that Ghana lost 19 million cedis to cybercrime in the first nine months of 2025, a 17% increase from the previous year. Investment scams alone saw a significant increase, with reported losses rising from 421,621 cedis in 2023 to over 1.9 million cedis in 2024. Ghana lost 19 million cedis ($1.8 million) to cybercrime in the first nine months of 2025, a 17% increase from 2024. Online fraud accounts for 36% of incidents, while cyberbullying represents 25%, disproportionately affecting women and youth.The country lost 19 million cedis ($1.8 million) to cybercrime in the first nine months of 2025, up 17% from the same period a year earlier, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) said. Ghana recorded 2,008 incidents in the first half of 2025 alone, a 52% jump compared to all of 2024.
George Eduah Bessi, CSA’s Head of Law Enforcement and Liaison, revealed the figures during a cybersecurity awareness webinar. He said online fraud remains the most common form of cybercrime, accounting for 36% of reported cases, including mobile money scams, fake investment schemes, and phishing attacks.Cyberbullying, which disproportionately affects women and young people, represented 25% of all recorded incidents, Bessi added. “The Authority is intensifying public education and regulatory enforcement to reverse this upward trend,” he said, urging individuals and companies to adopt stronger cybersecurity practices.
The Ghanaian government has launched multiple preventive initiatives, including the 2025 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, under the theme “Building a Safe, Informed, and Responsible Digital Space.” The government also plans to operationalize the Cybersecurity Fund, created under the 2020 Cybersecurity Act, to secure sustainable financing for national protection initiatives. Communication, Digital Technologies, and Innovation Minister Samuel Nartey George said the fund will help protect critical information infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity capacity across sectors.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ranks Ghana among Africa’s best performers in cybersecurity. The country earned a perfect score (20) in four pillars of the Global Cybersecurity Index—legal, technical, organizational, and cooperation measures—though it scored 19.27/20 in capacity development. If sustained, Ghana’s push to improve its digital resilience could cement its position as a cybersecurity leader in West Africa, while offering a model for other emerging economies facing similar online threats. (Extract from an article in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi “Ghana Tightens Cybersecurity as Online Threats Surge” Monday, 20 October 2025)
Despite these efforts by the government the questions unanswered are that who to report to how quick would your report would be attended to and how relevant would it be to you as our executive director Yussif Abdul Kudus received couple of text messages from MTN telecommunication networks sim card in numerous occasions credit been automatically be deducted and auto subscription like this which were not requested "Welcome! You have successfully subscribed to 233COMIC at 0.50 Ghc/Daily. To deactivate, visit https://233comic.page.link/welcome, myMTN App or dial *175# to manage subscriptions." " Y'ello, valued customer!, your subscription failed due to low balance. We'll retry charging you within 14 days and upon successful deduction, you'll have full access to Cooking Daily. Thank you!" among many
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center looked into Transportation for during these periods many Ghanaian moves back to their hometown to celebrate these festivals that makes our roads very busy as a country and air hence the need we looked into accidents on our roads in relation to these period and accident on our roads in Ghana generally. Between January and August 2025, Ghana recorded 9,626 road accidents, involving 16,348 vehicles, with 1,937 fatalities and 10,957 injuries. These figures represent an increase compared to the same period in 2024, with fatalities and injuries up by 20% and 10.2%, respectively. The main causes identified by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) include human errors like over-speeding and driver negligence, as well as poor road infrastructure. 1,504 lives were claimed through road accidents in first half
Road accident statistics January – August 2025 includes Total crashes: 9,626,Vehicles involved: 16,348, Fatalities: 1,937, Injuries: 10,957. Breakdown of vehicles involved: 5,515 commercial vehicles, 6,647 private vehicles, and 4,186 motorcycles Key statistics January – June 2025 that’s the first half of the year includes Total crashes: 7,289, Fatalities: 1,504, Injuries: 8,300, Vehicles involved: 12,354, Pedestrians knocked down: 1,301
Causes and contributing factors of these accidents included Human error: Over-speeding and other forms of negligence, fatigue, and carelessness are the most significant causes. Poor infrastructure: The condition of roads, including a lack of proper signage and poorly maintained surfaces, is a major contributor to accidents. Enforcement: Weak enforcement of traffic laws is cited as a reason for the increase in accidents.
In 2024, Ghana reported 13,489 road traffic crashes, resulting in 2,494 deaths and 15,607 injuries. This was an increase in fatalities from 2,276 in 2023, while vehicles involved decreased slightly. In the Accra Metropolitan Area, fatalities rose by 34%, with pedestrians accounting for over half of the deaths. Overall 2024 statistics from January – December includes Crashes: 13,489, Vehicles involved: 22,975, Deaths: 2,494, Injuries: 15,607. Trends compared to 2023 Deaths: Increased from 2,276 to 2,494, Injuries: Increased from 15,409 to 15,607, Vehicles involved: Decreased from 23,998 to 22,975 Pedestrian knockdowns: Decreased from 2,559 to 2,395
In 2023 there were about 4,64,029 road accidents. Over-speeding and careless driving were found to be the two major causes of road accidents. There occurred 4,64,029 road accidents in the country in 2023, 17,261 more than in 2022 — with a 1.6% increase in fatalities, from 1,71,100 in 2022 to 1,73,826 in 2023.
A report by the Ghana Police Service indicated that there were over 2,000 accidents recorded nationwide during the 2022 festive season alone, resulting in hundreds of deaths (Ghana Police Service, 2022) an alarming figure that needs to be looked and addressed
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center on the most 10 causes of road accidents in Ghana were that, the major contributing factors to road accidents were identified as follows; poor nature of roads, carelessness of road users, faulty vehicles, stress, unskilled drivers, inadequate road signs, inefficient MTTU personnel, speeding, lack of education, drunkenness, and gross indiscipline.6 Aug 2025.
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center in conclusion from the above in-dept analyse are that indeed during these festive seasons or periods much attention education and resources needed to deal with the impact it has on these three key areas looked into festive season in Ghana, most patronized items Cybersecurity and Transportation in relation to road accidents
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center with regards to most patronized items like food and transportation recommends that the government of the day should make sure that availability accessibility and affordability of these items are intact during these festive season, the supply chain of them fully restored special initiate by government by reducing prices of these items with special shock absorbents economic measure or policy that seeks to give special tax incentives to most patronized items during these festive period , make the Ghanaian producers of just items a topmost priority to support the local industry sector.
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center with regards to Cybersecurity despite many government of Ghana interventions recommends that within these festive period public awareness creation should be intensified through advertisement advocacy on the need to be vigilante on fraudsters scam target audience should be the vulnerable community and the youth of which organization should be engaged to educate them of cyber insecurity issues, the regulatory body should intensify monitoring of promotions within these periods especially that of the Telecommunication networks products and services where in these period very high and usually defraud unsuspecting people, the Ghana police should intensify awareness creation arrest those involved with stiffer punishments as many are very reluctant of reporting such case due no responds and results oriented police officers in the Cyber security unite not encouraging enough. Modern and advance devices procured by the government making sure cyber-insecurity issues are dealt with accordingly. Organization like us should be involved in helping to make sure proper education or advocacy on cyber security and it's related matters reached the needed audience
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center also recommends that we are again in new era of of advance and modern technology including Artificial intelligence of which proper regulations should be put on it's usage for experts said it would take human jobs and looking at the already non existing jobs in Ghana needs to be protected among others and finally national security concerns of Ghana acquiring these modern technology including Artificial intelligence should made topmost priority before Ghana commit their citizens data and it's national security into wrong hands
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center with regards to Transportation in relation to accidents during festive season the needed authorities should team up with major stakeholders like GPRTU of TUC in making sure that means of transportation readily available accessible affordably above all safe, MTTU Ghana police should initiate a special escort teams aimed at regulating speed to enhance safety, increase police check points for also during these periods illicit drugs and other items are usually smuggled and crime rates very high
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center also recommends that during these festive season security should be beef up in major entry places or borders of Ghana, public places tourist sites cinemas theatre among other public places that needs high security presents
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center recommends that special rewards should be initiated and announced reward for people who report fraud crime traffic violations among other crimes or violation genially verified and pursued
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center recommends that public health education should be intensified on healthy eating lifestyle as during these periods many are prone to all forms of health related hazards ranging from high alcoholic in take to junk food with high health risk, exercise regularly among others should be advised
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center acknowledge the facts that the Ghana police service on their own Television channel Ghana Police TV have dedicated it mostly to educate the Ghanaian people on cyber security road traffic regulations among others but more needed to be done and the response rates on cyber and other crimes needs to be looked into ,Also Banks and the mobile telecommunication networks have already started education by way of cyber security warning and others regarding safety of your bank account or mobile money details.
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center sees a lot of progress on Ghana regarding fraud in the mobile telecommunication networks in our previous works classical example is CR7 MTN live promotion where winners most of the time were not announced in public but now promotion including Cowbell Coffee promotion of which our Executive Director Yussif Abdul Kudus participated won was humble called and rewarded for that we can say the is significant improvement, When your mobile data or credit is detected or remove who do ask for help that should be addressed with regulators even when that's minuet.
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center recommends that the Food And Drugs Authority - FDA should intensify campaigns on quality of goods in our markets from checking of quality to expiring date as during these festive season fake and expired goods always flood our markets and make sure all fake products found seized and those involved face the law.
Kudus Research And Advocacy Center recommends that the regulatory bodies such Food and Drugs Authority Nation Communication Authority GRA and Security Exchange Commission among others warn against fake products and services advertisement as latest moves by SEC to ban 33 TV cited for airing fraudulent adverts like Money Doubling Scams
Sign by:
Yussif Abdul Kudus
Founder & Executive Director
+233(0)245535151
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