John Dramani Mahama is the President of Ghana
President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed claims that the government spent large sums of money on the expansion of Terminal 3 at the Tema Port.
He also squashed claims that the port was sold under his administration.
Speaking at the Ghana Transport and Logistics Fair 2025, Mahama stated categorically that the Government of Ghana did not pay a dime for the newly commissioned port.
He explained that the expansion was necessary due to the surge in maritime traffic, which rendered the old Tema Port inadequate.
To address this, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) entered into a strategic partnership with Meridian Port Services (MPS) to construct a new berth.
This partnership, President Mahama noted, was formed within the existing port and led to the development of what became the most efficient berth at the time.
He recounted challenging the MPS partners, including APM Terminals, Bolloré, and MERS to consider building a new port, as the old facility had reached its expansion limits.
“They accepted the challenge and decided to build a new port off our balance sheet,” he stated.
Today, Tema Port is the most efficient port in the whole of the Gulf Coast as biggest ships and vessels dock on Ghana’s waters.
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President John Dramani Mahama said, “I want to let you know that that new Tema Port cost Government of Ghana nothing. There’s been a lot of misinformation that I sold the port. How can you sell a port that didn’t exist and yet, GPHA and their partners went on to the credit market and borrowed almost a billion dollars to establish that new port we have. And today, it’s the most efficient port in the whole of West Africa. Actually, I’m not in the whole of the Gulf Coast.”
He commended GPHA and Meridian Port Services for their continued investment and the quality of work done in the maritime sector.
The new Tema Port, including Terminal 3, is part of a major expansion project officially launched in November 2023.
The ongoing second phase has significantly boosted the port’s capacity to accommodate larger vessels and increased cargo volumes, positioning Ghana as a leading shipping hub in the region.
SA
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