The ongoing construction of the Keta Port Office Headquarters is rekindling hopes among residents of Kedzi and surrounding communities that the broader Keta Port project will create lasting employment and business opportunities for the local population.
Residents of the Keta Municipality in the Volta Region have welcomed the steady progress of the headquarters project, saying the development is already contributing to the local economy through the engagement of young people and artisans in construction activities.
Mr Mawuko Senaki, a resident of Kedzi, told the Ghana News Agency that local youth were benefiting from employment as labourers, carpenters, masons and support staff at the project site.
He said the income earned by workers was helping to support households and stimulate economic activity within Kedzi and neighbouring communities.
“The project has already begun yielding tangible benefits for the community, particularly through the employment of local youth as labourers, artisans and support staff on the construction site,” he said.
Mr Senaki said the rapid rise of the port office building had also renewed optimism among young people who had previously faced limited employment opportunities in the area.
He commended the contractors for maintaining a consistent pace of work and involving local artisans in various aspects of the construction.
“The construction firm has demonstrated a high level of professionalism and commitment; the quality and speed of work so far have exceeded our expectations with the scale of the project and its significance to the region,” he said.
Local employment
The residents said their expectations went beyond temporary construction jobs, expressing optimism that the completed facility and the wider port development would create permanent employment and opportunities for local businesses.
They anticipate opportunities for businesses to provide services to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), private port operators and other companies that could establish operations around the port.
The residents, therefore, appealed to the GPHA to prioritise qualified people from the immediate catchment area when recruitment begins.
They also called for training programmes to equip local youth with the technical and professional skills required for employment within the port industry.
They stressed that qualified residents should not be overlooked in favour of applicants from outside the area when permanent opportunities become available.
January 2027 completion
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the GPHA, Major General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono (Rtd), has assured stakeholders that the new Keta Port Office Headquarters is expected to become operational by January 2027.
The revised completion date is later than the project’s original June 2026 target.
Speaking at a community engagement forum at the Lagoon View Hotel in Keta, Major General Tanye-Kulono explained that the timeline had been revised after engineers identified deficiencies in the original scope of works.
He said the deficiencies required a variation of the contract to ensure that the necessary corrections were made properly and prevent potentially higher costs in the future.
According to him, the Central Tender Review Board has approved the variation, allowing work to proceed towards the revised January 2027 completion date.
He also disclosed that the Authority had secured the required Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit, confirming the suitability of the site for the broader port development.
Major General Tanye-Kulono said the construction phase would continue to provide opportunities for local artisans, particularly carpenters and masons.
He urged parents and young people in the area to take advantage of training opportunities in port-related disciplines and obtain relevant certifications to improve their chances of securing jobs when the port becomes fully operational.
The development is therefore expected to serve not only as a major infrastructure project but also as a potential catalyst for employment, entrepreneurship and economic activity in Keta and its surrounding communities.
