By Ghana News

Copyright ghanamma

Ghanaian songstress Efya has ignited fresh debate after demanding that the country’s age of consent be raised from 16 to better shield minors from abuse.

This comes amid public outrage following a viral video where the Assistant Headmaster at KNUST Senior High School in Kumasi, Charles Akwasi Aidoo, was spotted in a compromising situation with a female student.

In a post on X on October 1, 2025, Efya stated, “The age of consent in Ghana must be raised above 16 to better protect minors.”

Her intervention has emerged at a moment when many are calling for both justice and structural change in how young people are protected by law.

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Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has removed Aidoo from his role.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection says it is working hand in hand with the police to ensure a full investigation and that justice is delivered.

Efya’s outcry joins a growing chorus of voices urging lawmakers to revisit the minimum age for consent as a deterrent against exploitation.

Ghana’s Age of Consent

Ghana’s age of consent is set at 16 under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). Although the legal age of consent is 16, the legal age of marriage is 18 under the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560). This creates a gap where young people (16–17) may legally consent to sex but cannot legally marry.

However, the law also criminalises sexual activity with children under 16, which is considered defilement and punishable by a minimum of 7 years’ imprisonment and up to 25 years.

Child rights advocates, women’s groups, and now public figures like Efya argue that 16 is too low, as it leaves teenagers vulnerable to exploitation, especially by older adults in positions of power. Calls have been made to raise it to 18 or higher, aligning it with the marriage age and UN child protection standards.

See the post below:

The age of consent in Ghana must be raised above 16 to better protect minors.
The age of consent in Ghana must be raised above 16 to better protect minors.
The age of consent in Ghana must be raised above 16 to better protect minors. The age of consent in Ghana must be raised…
— EFYA (@EFYA_Nokturnal) October 1, 2025