Mahama targets 30% female employment in Takoradi ship repair project
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that 30 per cent of the jobs to be created under the $137 million Takoradi floating dry dock project will be reserved for women, as Ghana seeks to expand female participation in the maritime and ship repair industry.
The project, expected to create 430 jobs, is part of efforts to position Takoradi as a major ship repair and maintenance hub along the West African coast while providing young Ghanaians with specialised technical skills.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony for the facility at the Takoradi Port, President Mahama said the employment arrangement would ensure that women benefit significantly from the investment.
“What pleases me the most is that it will create 430 jobs for our young people. This is all part of the Big Push and the research agenda to create jobs for our young people, and indeed, the icing on the cake is 30 per cent of the jobs are reserved for females, for our young girls,” he said.
President Mahama said the project would also provide opportunities for technology transfer and skills development, particularly in ship repair and maintenance.
He expressed confidence that the training and practical experience workers would receive would improve their prospects in the international maritime industry.
“They will gain the technology transfer. They will become skilled at ship repair, and I believe it will make them internationally marketable,” he added.
The $137 million facility, being developed under a 25-year concession, is expected to be completed within 18 months.
President Mahama said the investment would address the shortage of major ship repair facilities along the Gulf of Guinea, where vessels operating in the region often travel to Europe or Durban in South Africa for maintenance.
“There are a lot of vessels working on the Gulf Coast, and they either have to go to Europe for maintenance or they have to go to Durban in South Africa for maintenance. So this fills a very good vacuum,” he stated.
The facility is expected to serve vessels, including oil rigs operating along the Gulf of Guinea, while strengthening Ghana’s position in the regional maritime services industry.
The project forms part of the government’s broader infrastructure and job creation agenda, with emphasis on building local technical capacity, promoting industrial development and creating employment opportunities for young people.
President Mahama expressed appreciation to Prime Meridian, Shipwright and the financial institutions supporting the project, saying he looked forward to returning to Takoradi to witness its completion.
