The Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal (BILT) has progressed by just six percent of its construction target for April 2026, falling sharply short of the 20 percent milestone projected for the period, as financial constraints continue to slow one of Ghana’s most strategically significant infrastructure projects.
The shortfall was disclosed during a joint inspection visit to the site in the Ejisu Constituency on April 24 by Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Board Chairman of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), alongside the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) and project stakeholders.
Despite expressing confidence in the project’s long-term potential, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah issued a direct warning about the funding situation. “As a citizen of this country, I believe we cannot allow this project to rot away,” he said. “We will not limit ourselves to specific sources of funding. We are looking at private capital, and we will continue to engage the government on it.”
The $308 million terminal, being constructed by Justmoh Construction Limited and located near Kumasi, is designed to serve as a major inland logistics hub linking the Tema and Takoradi seaports to Ghana’s middle and northern regions, as well as to landlocked neighbours including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. When operational, it is expected to ease congestion at coastal ports, reduce cargo transit costs, and position Ghana as a premier multimodal trade hub in West Africa.
During the inspection, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah described the project as a “game-changer” that shifts how Ghana manages trade, stressing that completion has moved beyond aspiration. “The ultimate goal is completion,” he said. “The benefits of this project can only be realised when it is fully functional.”
Professor Ransford Edward Gyampo, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), echoed the strategic importance of the terminal, saying it is essential for positioning Ghana as a premier West African transit hub. Dr. Justice Amoh, Chief Executive Officer of Justmoh Construction, was candid about the immediate challenge, saying more funding is required without delay to maintain construction momentum and meet timelines.
Project consultant Dr. John Bernard Koranteng Yorke provided an update on site progress, noting that key structural phases have reached advanced stages and that materials procurement and coordination between contractors and stakeholders have improved. He acknowledged that earlier delays linked to logistical and funding bottlenecks had slowed progress but said the project had regained momentum.
The funding challenge is not new. Phase one of the project, which covers container terminal works, road networks, drainage systems, container freight stations, bonded warehouses, and administrative facilities, has repeatedly missed completion deadlines. Phase one was projected to be completed by the first quarter of 2025 but remains unfinished. The project started in October 2022 with an extended deadline of September 2026, a target now under pressure given the current pace.
GPHA, a major financier of the terminal, is exploring government allocations and private capital arrangements to bridge the gap. Stakeholders have previously called for the project to be treated as a national asset above political cycles, given that it has spanned the administrations of multiple governments since it was originally conceived under former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
