By Buertey Francis BORYOR
Ghana is failing to harness the immense economic potential of its seafaring industry, despite the country’s reputation for producing highly skilled maritime professionals, Captain William Amanhyia, a master mariner and lecturer at the Regional Maritime University, has said.
Speaking on Eye on Port, a television programme focused on the maritime sector, he expressed concern about the state of the country’s maritime industry, lamenting the gaps in training, policy and infrastructure that continue to hamper its competitiveness on the global stage.
“The Philippines, for instance, earns close to US$6billion monthly by exporting seafarers, contributing significantly to their economy. They have built a robust framework to train and export their people, making them the world’s leading supplier of maritime labour. On the other hand, Ghana, with all its potential, is lagging behind because we don’t have the systems and frameworks to take advantage of the growing global demand for seafarers,” he said.
Additionally, he expressed frustration over successive governments’ failure to prioritise the maritime sector, noting that advocacy efforts spanning decades have yielded little progress.
“For over 20 years, we have been calling on the government to support this industry but nothing tangible has been done. If we continue like this, we will lose out on the enormous economic and job opportunities available in the global maritime market,” he warned.
Captain Amanhyia, described the nation’s seafarer industry as a shadow of its former glory, noting that it was once a competitive player in global maritime labour, especially during the “golden era” of the 1960s. However, decades of government disinterest have left the sector in a dire state.
Highlighting financial benefits of investing in the maritime industry, he argued that a well-structured framework for training and exporting seafarers could generate billions of dollars annually for the country.
“The framework must be examined from two thematic perspectives: quality and quantity. Regarding the quantity, Philippines is now deploying 400,000 seafarers. We are in the initial stages, and are planning to get about 100, 000 maritime seafarers deployed. With respect to quality, we are quite good. Imagine even US$2billion coming into the country every year from seafarer remittances. This would boost our economy significantly and create thousands of jobs for the youth,” he stated.
He further urged government to partner with private institutions, including banks, to invest in maritime training facilities – including simulators. He suggested that policies providing incentives for private investment could help address the funding gaps.
“Banks stand to gain from the remittances seafarers bring in; so it makes sense for them to invest in simulators and training platforms. The government must create policies that encourage such partnerships, as it cannot do this alone,” he said.
Mr. Awudu Enusah, Principal Maritime Administrative Officer, Maritime Services Division at the Ghana Maritime Authority and a discussant on the TV programme, also cited the lack of shipboard training opportunities and inadequate simulation facilities as some of the most critical challenges faced by the country’s seafarers.
“Seafaring is not about just reading books – it is about competence, combining knowledge, skills and the right attitude. Without practical shipboard training or access to simulators, we cannot prepare our cadets for the realities of the job,” he elaborated.
Additionally, he pointed out that despite the country’s strong reputation for producing high-quality seafarers, it is falling behind other African nations like Egypt and South Africa in the race to supply maritime labour.
He, therefore, appealed to the government, private investors and stakeholders to come together to address the challenges and transform the country into a global hub for seafarers.
The maritime experts were addressing the topic ‘Building a sustainable framework for Ghana’s seafarer exportation: Key action for growth’.
