GPHA seeks regional cooperation to boost port competitiveness, AfCFTA trade

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has urged regional collaboration among West and Central African ports to enhance competitiveness, operational efficiency and trade within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Major-General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono, GPHA's Director-General, emphasized the need for ports to share knowledge, technical expertise and innovative solutions to challenges in a rapidly evolving global shipping landscape.

Tanye-Kulono, addressing participants at a three-day meeting of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) in Tema, highlighted factors such as international trade growth, evolving security threats, climate change, technological advancements and changing regulatory requirements that necessitate continuous review of port operations and infrastructure.

The meeting served as a crucial platform for member ports to exchange experiences and devise practical solutions to issues affecting maritime security, environmental protection, port operations, infrastructure development and technical management.

The Director-General underscored that ports play a pivotal role not only in facilitating trade but also in safeguarding waters, the environment and the communities they serve. To secure future competitiveness, ports must plan and invest in infrastructure that caters to the evolving demands of global trade while embracing innovation and digitalisation, ensuring sustainable and resilient growth.

Tanye-Kulono acknowledged that while ports encounter distinct challenges, many of them are shared, making collaborative platforms like PMAWCA essential for pooling collective experience and expertise. He urged participants to use the gathering to not only deliberate on their agenda but also to critically assess existing approaches and identify solutions that could be implemented across member ports.

Ghana has invested in modernising its port infrastructure, but the Director-General stressed that port development is an ongoing process that requires continuous responsiveness to changing global shipping patterns and the broader objectives of AfCFTA. He expressed confidence that the meeting would yield recommendations to advance the goals of port workers and strengthen cooperation among member ports.