An advocacy group called Apex Citizens is urging Ghana’s Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations to take swift action against hookup apps, alleging that these platforms are fueling commercial sex work and increasing HIV rates, especially among foreigners living illegally in the country.
According to the group’s PR officer Peter Donkor, the rise in foreigners engaged in prostitution through these apps has greatly impacted local businesses and contributed to a worrying spike in new HIV infections and other STIs. Donkor highlighted on Rainbow Radio that the use of hookup apps makes the sex trade more dangerous and widespread than street prostitution, calling the issue “alarming and scarier.”
The group further appealed to authorities to tighten control, urging landlords to thoroughly vet foreign tenants and warning that many are undocumented and involved in criminal activity. Carlos Akowah, the assistant PRO, insisted that foreigners must follow legal processes and are permitted only in wholesale, not retail trade.
Apex Citizens maintains that without serious action from government and immigration authorities—including deporting undocumented foreigners—Ghana’s safety and economy will be undermined. The group’s stance reflects growing concern over technology’s role in transforming and expanding the commercial sex industry in Ghana.
