As a Senior Narcotics Officer at Ghana’s Tema Port, Francisca Ziniel knows the hidden corners of a ship better than most. With the support of the European Union -funded SEACOP (Seaport Cooperation Programme) project, she has built solid expertise in vessel rummaging and now plays a key role in training others in the skills needed to detect illicit trafficking.
Her journey into maritime security has not just been about personal growth; it has been about opening doors for others, especially women, and inspiring the next generation of girls to enter a field where women are still few and far between.
A path less travelled
In the bustling port of Tema, in Ghana, where cargo ships arrive from all around the world, maritime security requires sharp instincts, teamwork and endurance. Francisca Ziniel has spent years developing those skills. Now, she leads a team of officers from the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), searching vessels suspected of trafficking illicit goods.
In a field still largely dominated by men, she has built a reputation for precision and professionalism. Her journey, however, wasn’t paved by chance. With the support of the EU’s SEACOP, Francisca grew from being a junior officer with a passion for search operations into a certified trainer with regional and international influence. “SEACOP didn’t just train me,” she says. “They saw my potential, nurtured it, and gave me a platform to grow and lead.
The SEACOP effect: from learner to leader
Francisca’s introduction to SEACOP began with hands-on vessel rummaging training, where she learned how to identify hidden compartments, read ship blueprints, and rely on all her senses, especially smell, to detect narcotics. “Each vessel has its own rhythm, its own normal,” she explains. “When something’s off, your instincts have to catch it—even if it’s just a faint, unfamiliar scent in the engine room.”
Recognising her dedication and keen observational skills, SEACOP offered Francisca the opportunity to attend a high-level “train-the-trainer” programme in Barbados back in February 2023. There, she worked alongside maritime security experts from around the world, honing her skills and establishing a network that now spans continents. “Today, I can get intelligence from Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago in minutes,” she shares proudly. “That’s the kind of international cooperation SEACOP makes possible.”
More importantly, Francisca is now paying it forward, training fellow officers in Ghana and beyond, and becoming a symbol of what targeted support and perseverance can achieve.
Gender doesn’t limit capability, it adds value
Despite her success, Francisca is frequently reminded that she is “the only woman” in the room. But for her, that distinction is more of a compliment than anything else. “I am proud of my job. Rummaging is a very tedious and hard job. You spend hours in steaming hot rooms, you struggle to breathe, you are exhausted. So a lot of people prefer office work: it is easier in a way.”
Far from viewing femininity as a limitation, Francisca sees it as a strategic advantage. “Women bring something different to this job,” she says. “A sharper eye for detail, a more intuitive read on people, a nose for certain smells.”
“I remember on one vessel, when my fellow male officers hit a wall, I gained the crew’s trust and opened doors -literally and figuratively- that had been shut by defiance.”
Francisca also highlights the importance of endurance over strength: “You don’t have to out-muscle the job, you have to outlast it! And that is what women can do.”
Despite it all, she says she wants to “stop being ‘the only woman in the room’” and now strives to spread the word about the need for more women in maritime security.
Building the future, one officer at a time
Thanks to SEACOP, Francisca says she gained the tools and credibility to spread that word. “What makes SEACOP different is that they don’t just train you. They believe in you,” she reflects, “they walk with you step by step and give you the visibility to rise and the network to thrive.”
Today, Francisca leads boarding operations, mentors junior officers, and continues to advocate for the inclusion of women in port security efforts. She speaks at international conferences about the importance of gender inclusivity in maritime security efforts, using her personal journey as an example.
For the young women who think rummaging through engine rooms and inspecting cargos isn’t for them, her message is simple: “Try it. You might find not only that you’re good at it, but that you love it. I did.”
Funded by the European Union, the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, SEACOP VI aims to combat illicit maritime trafficking and associated criminal networks in Latin America, the Caribbean, and West Africa, with full respect for human rights, by mitigating their negative impacts on security, public health, the environment, and socio-economic development.
The project focuses on enhancing the capacity to analyse and identify suspicious vessels, improving intelligence sharing, strengthening maritime interdiction efforts, including those targeting environmental crimes. It also seeks to foster sustainable regional and transregional cooperation through improved information exchange and law enforcement operations.