Ghana’s push to become a major supplier of maritime labour to the world is gaining structural momentum, with the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) securing market access agreements and industry partnerships that go well beyond training, positioning the country to capture a rising share of a rapidly widening global seafarer shortage.
Dr Kamal-Deen Ali, Director-General of the GMA, told a media forum organised by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) in Tema that the global seafarer deficit currently stands at between 27,000 and 30,000 workers, with projections pointing to a gap of approximately 90,000 by the end of 2026. Africa, which holds the world’s largest and fastest-growing youth population, accounts for only four to five percent of the global seafaring workforce of 1.9 million.
A critical barrier to seizing that opportunity has been market access. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has formally recognised certificates of competency issued by the GMA, opening Ghana’s seafarers to employment across European-flagged vessels. Signed memoranda of understanding with major ship registry nations including Panama, Liberia, the Bahamas, Singapore, and Cyprus further widen the fleet of vessels on which certified Ghanaian seafarers can legally serve.
On the placement side, the GMA has moved decisively beyond its traditional regulatory role. A partnership with international tanker operator Hafnia alone has secured a commitment to employ approximately 600 Ghanaian ratings over three years, with the Regional Maritime University extending its training programmes to meet global certification standards. The Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) and the International Maritime Employers Council (IMEC) are among other firms that have engaged with the GMA to place Ghanaian cadets.
In February 2026, three cadets, Albert Yaw Egyen, Bernard Bortey Alabi, and Mikim Kwesi Nixon, were selected from a competitive pool of 50 candidates to begin sea-time training with KOTC, the first cohort to deploy under the GMA’s National Seafarer Development and Promotion Policy (NSDPP). Cadets on sea-time placements typically earn monthly stipends of between USD 500 and USD 1,000.
Ghana’s maritime heritage gives the push historical weight. The country established a Nautical College in 1958, operated the historic Black Star Line, and for decades produced captains and maritime officers who served on vessels internationally. In recent years, however, Ghana lost ground to competitors including Nigeria, Ethiopia, and South Africa, a reversal Dr Ali is working to undo by repositioning the GMA as an active job creator rather than a passive regulator.
Ghana has also recently been recognised under the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control as the best-performing country in the West African sub-region for the quality of its port state control inspections, an endorsement that strengthens its credentials in international maritime circles.
