The Centre for Migration Studies (CMS) undertakes a wide range of interdisciplinary research and policy-oriented projects that address contemporary migration challenges in Ghana, West Africa, and globally. These projects are designed to generate evidence-based knowledge, strengthen institutional capacity, and inform policy and practice on migration and displacement.
CMS projects span themes such as forced displacement, labour migration, migration governance, diaspora engagement, climate-induced mobility, urbanisation, migration and health, and social protection. Through collaborative partnerships with universities, governments, international organisations, and development partners, the Centre contributes to advancing Global South perspectives in migration research and policy discourse.
Research Project List
Retail Finance Distribution Research Initiative (ReFinD)
ReFinD is a sub-grants-awarding research initiative that aims to support interventions that will effectively expand the reach and efficiency of agent network operations through public policy and commercial solutions that can plausibly be scaled. It was launched in June 2022 with a first call for proposals, and is implemented by ISSER, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Researchers: Prof. Peter Quartey
Location: Ghana (with a focus on Africa and Asia)
Duration: November 2021 – November 2026
Partnership Facilitation and City Diagnostics to Support Equitable Economic Growth in two Secondary Cities in Ghana (Cape Coast and Swedru)
An international consortium, with ISSER as a Ghana-based Principal Investigator, partnered with staff from the University of Bonn and a US-based NGO, Eparque Urban Strategies, LLC, to undertake this project aimed at equipping smaller cities (Agona Swedru and Cape Coast) to boost their economies and help reinvigorate employment and related improved socio-economic status for residents. In this project, both cities chose areas of interest to them. Cape Coast chose tourism while Agona Swedru and its environs chose agro-processing. East Mamprusi Municipality was introduced as a “learning city”.
Fiscal and Public Health Impact of a Change in Tobacco Excise Taxes in Ghana
In Ghana, more than 5,000 people are killed by tobacco-caused diseases every year (Tobacco Atlas, 2018). Currently, the country’s tax administration approach is unitary with a uniform ad valorem tax structure on all excisable products including tobacco. However, the ECOWAS directive on tobacco control in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), recommends a simple tax structure using a mixed excise system with a minimum specific tax floor, to overcome the large limitations of the ad valorem system on tobacco products especially cigarettes.
SME Market Sizing Study
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of Ghana’s economy: constituting 70% of GDP and 92% of all businesses. This notwithstanding, SMEs in Ghana face various constraints (including limited access to credit facilities and international markets). A major challenge in a dynamic and interconnected economy is SME’s inadequate access to appropriate information communication technology which, moreover, is a key ingredient for tapping into global markets for business transactions.