Ghana Shippers Authority CEO Calls for National Shipping Line to Enhance Maritime Trade
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), Professor Ransford Gyampo, is making a strong case for the establishment of a national shipping line, arguing that Ghana’s aspirations for a national airline should be matched with similar ambitions in the maritime sector.
Speaking at a recent forum, Prof. Gyampo underscored the strategic importance of maritime trade to Ghana’s economy and urged policymakers to begin serious considerations towards setting up a state-owned shipping line.
“There are discussions that we should have—Ghana Airways and national carriers operating our airspace. In that same way, I believe that as we surmount that challenge, we have to move towards a situation where Ghana would also have its ships and all that,” he stated.
He acknowledged the high capital requirements associated with establishing a national shipping company but maintained that it is achievable with strong political will and visionary leadership.
“It’s a capital-intensive idea, but I believe that if we can think about having national airlines, we can also have national ships. We’re a developing continent. With the right decisions and right leaders, some of these things should be surmounted,” he remarked.
Prof. Gyampo’s comments come on the back of recent pronouncements by President John Dramani Mahama on Ghana’s intention to partner with Portugal to re-establish a national airline.
During a diplomatic ceremony held at the Jubilee House on July 10 to receive letters of credence from five newly accredited ambassadors, President Mahama disclosed that Ghana is exploring a strategic aviation partnership with Portugal to boost its aviation and economic prospects.
He made the remarks in an engagement with the Portuguese Ambassador to Ghana, Maria Da Conceição de Sousa Pilar, highlighting the government’s commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation in areas such as aviation, trade, and investment.
Industry analysts say a national shipping line, if properly structured, could significantly reduce the country’s overdependence on foreign carriers, lower freight costs, and enhance Ghana’s control over its maritime logistics and exports.
Ghana currently relies heavily on foreign-owned vessels for the movement of imports and exports, a situation experts say limits the country’s ability to negotiate favourable freight terms and build competitive maritime infrastructure.
With increasing global competition in logistics and trade facilitation, stakeholders believe that a national carrier—both in the air and at sea—could position Ghana as a transport and trade hub in West Africa.
