Motorists Urged to Demand ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Certificates
The Chairman of the Council of the Ghana National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, Frederick Adotey Saka, has called on motorists across the country to insist on receiving their ECOWAS Brown Card certificates whenever they purchase motor insurance policies.
Speaking at the 44th anniversary celebration of the ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme, Mr Saka — who also serves as Managing Director of Vanguard Assurance — explained that the cover activates automatically once a motor insurance policy is issued, yet many Ghanaians remain unaware they are entitled to it.
“It is already included in your motor insurance premium. The risk covered under the ECOWAS Brown Card can arise both within Ghana and beyond our borders,” he emphasised.
The ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme was established on 29 May 1982 in Cotonou, Benin, as part of the Economic Community of West African States’ broader vision for regional integration and the free movement of people, goods and services across member states. Its primary objective is to ensure prompt and fair compensation for victims of motor accidents caused by non-resident motorists travelling within ECOWAS countries.
In practical terms, the Brown Card functions as a common third-party liability insurance cover. It protects victims in another ECOWAS member state when a visiting motorist causes death, bodily injury or property damage — a critical safeguard given the volume of cross-border road traffic in West Africa.
The Ghana National Bureau, established in 1987 as the Scheme’s operational secretariat in the country, is responsible for issuing Brown Card certificates through licensed motor insurance companies and handling cross-border claims.
Over the years, the Bureau has built partnerships with key stakeholders including the National Insurance Commission (NIC), the Ghana Insurers Association (GIA), the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Borderless Alliance, the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and various transport associations.
A significant recent development has been the integration of Brown Card policies into the Motor Insurance Database (MID 2), a collaboration between the Bureau and the NIC aimed at digitising certificates and streamlining verification processes. The move is expected to reduce fraud and make it easier for authorities at border posts to confirm the validity of insurance documents.
The push for better awareness comes amid broader concerns about border infrastructure and safety. At Elubo, a major border town in Ghana’s Western Region, the absence of basic street lighting has been flagged as a persistent security vulnerability — a reminder that cross-border protection requires more than insurance certificates alone.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Ghana National Bureau donated 300 body bags and 200 reflective vests to the Police MTTD, a contribution intended to strengthen the department’s capacity in managing road traffic incidents.
The Bureau also conducted a public sensitisation exercise along the Amasaman–Nsawam Highway, educating both local and foreign drivers on the Scheme and the procedures to follow in the event of an accident involving a foreign vehicle.
The 44th anniversary is being marked across all ECOWAS member states, with a focus on raising awareness of the Brown Card’s role in protecting road users and facilitating safe cross-border travel throughout the sub-region.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
