African is said to be into global shipping networks due to increased investment in container terminals. The panel made up of Dr George vandyck, Jeffrey Botchway, Dr Alberta Sagoe and myself Jonas Aryee discusses this development after presenting the facts.

In this Episode, Ghanaian Shipping Practitioners share their perspective on the proposed cabotage bill by the Ghana Maritime Authority. Among the voices you will hear are Chief Mohammed Obosu who wrote an article in a popular Ghanaian media that was widely circulated. You will also hear the voices of Dr George van Dyck, Senior Lecturer at the Regional Maritime University and Co-convener, Maritime Initiative Africa, Jeffrey Botchway of Masser Afrique and Maria Ogbugo, a maritime practitioner with local ship owning/operating experience.

Africa rising has been a mantra in business cycles for a while now. How about Shipping that drives businesses. It is emerging that African is gradually moving from the periphery to the centre. How eminent is this? What is the evidence to show this mobility towards integrating into the global shipping network? Are there bottlenecks to this vision? Take a listen to the presentation and subsequent discussion I had with George vanDyck of Maritime Initiative Africa and Jeffrey Botchway of Masser Afrique. 

Dr George vanDyck led the discussion in our maritime news review for March 2021. Amongst the topical issues that came up are

1. Ship scrapping

2. Working conditions of crews on Fishing Vessels in West Africa

3.  The grounding of Ever Given and related issues and

4. Port Concessions in West Africa in the midst of the Bollore- MPS Ghana Port Terminal saga contract saga in Ghana

France 24 reported that the french industrial group Bollore have been fined 12 million euros for bribing the Togolese president to gain favours at the port of Lome. https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210226-bollor%C3%A9-group-fined-%E2%82%AC12-million-in-african-corruption-case

A new damning report has surfaced alleging that that same tactic had been used on Ghana and other West African countries.

Now, this is a story about how borders are central parts of a country and not periphery in the true sense. Prof Nugent relates how urbanization in border towns like Aflao in Ghana can march that of much regional capital in countries. Unfortunately, land borders do not see the same attention in terms of road infrastructure, computerization of immigration and customs processes and the border post. He makes an example of how South Africa wine has huge market potential in Africa yet producers look west and east.

I am happy to introduce my colleagues and new co-host of the monthly maritime transportation news of Africa review.

Dr vanDyck is a Lecturer and consultant at the Regional Maritime University. He specialises in port management and Logistics and Supply Chain. A product of the Shanghai Maritime University, China; Cranfield University, Uk.

Jeffrey is a post-graduate of Maritime Law from Southampton University, UK and the founder of Masser Afrique. He also reached Part-time at the Regional Maritime University.

Dr Alberta J Sagoe is Executive Director of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute and a Post Doc at the Center for Coastal Management at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.