The meeting connects GRDA's container plans with the congestion at Tema Port that was the stated focus of the discussion. GRDA said the movements between Tema and the Kpone Unity Terminal are intended to improve cargo movement and reduce pressure on road transportation, which is the shift towards rail and intermodal transport that IEAG's Executive Secretary called for.
For the wider freight network, GRDA said the government is seeking private-sector partnerships for the Nsuta and Mpakadan lines and that it plans to begin carrying manganese from Nsuta to Takoradi Port by 2028. Mr Awingobit asked GRDA, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority to coordinate freight transportation, and called for a direct railway connection to Meridian Port Services so that locomotives can load containers directly from the port.
- GRDA told the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana on 2 November 2026 that it is preparing to start moving loaded containers by rail between Tema and the Kpone Unity Terminal.
- IEAG Executive Secretary Samson Asaki Awingobit and his team made a courtesy call on GRDA Chief Executive Officer Dr Frederick Appoh and management on Monday 2 November 2026.
- The meeting focused on decongesting Tema Port by promoting rail for the movement of containers and other cargo.
- Dr Appoh said the government is seeking private-sector partnerships for the Nsuta and Mpakadan railway lines to support internal train services.
- GRDA plans to begin transporting manganese from Nsuta to Takoradi Port by 2028, according to Dr Appoh.
- Mr Awingobit called for a direct railway connection to Meridian Port Services so that locomotives can load containers directly from the port.
The Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) is preparing to start moving loaded containers by rail between Tema and the Kpone Unity Terminal (KUT), its chief executive told the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) during a courtesy call on Monday 2 November 2026.
IEAG Executive Secretary Samson Asaki Awingobit and his team met Dr Frederick Appoh, GRDA's Chief Executive Officer, and the Authority's management. The meeting looked at practical ways to decongest Tema Port by promoting rail for the movement of containers and other cargo, and at wider areas of partnership between the association and GRDA.
Dr Appoh said the container movements, in both directions between Tema and KUT, are intended to improve cargo movement and reduce pressure on road transportation. He added that the government is seeking private-sector partnerships for the Nsuta and Mpakadan railway lines to support internal train services, and that GRDA plans to begin transporting manganese from Nsuta to Takoradi Port by 2028.
On railway safety, Dr Appoh described an initiative championed by the Minister for Transport and the GRDA Board to establish safe pedestrian passageways along the railway corridor, aimed at improving safety for communities living around the rail lines.
Mr Awingobit commended GRDA's leadership for identifying and taking advantage of emerging opportunities in maritime trade and logistics. He said Ghana needs to prioritise rail and intermodal transportation as alternatives to its heavy dependence on road haulage, particularly for cargo moving to and from the ports.
He called for stronger institutional cooperation among GRDA, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to ensure a coordinated approach to freight transportation and logistics management. Mr Awingobit also said a direct railway connection to Meridian Port Services (MPS) is needed so that locomotives can load containers directly from the port and cargo can be moved out efficiently. IEAG said it is ready to work with GRDA.
