The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, says the completion of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal is necessary for job creation for the youth of the country.

Aside from the direct jobs being created, persons within the catchment area and the Greater Kumasi area will derive economic benefits from the project.

“We are advanced in the project so far. The project is not only needed by the people of the Ashanti Region but the whole of the Northern sector of the country. This will create jobs.

"When the containers arrive here, a lot will be employed along the value chain of the industry,” the Asantehene added.

During a high-level meeting at the Manhyia Palace, the Asantehene, who is worried about the delays, believes any attempt to halt the project will cause financial loss to the country.

“We have invested a lot of money in BILT. The Ghana Shippers Authority and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority have both contributed significantly.

"If we don’t find investment to complete it, then we have caused financial loss to the government,” he added.

The Asantehene made the remarks when some board members of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, led by Board Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, paid a courtesy call on him.

The CEO of Ghana Shippers Authority, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, and the leadership of Justmoh Construction were among the delegation on the visit.

The two institutions are joint financiers of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal.

The group had earlier visited the site to see the progress of work done.

To the Asantehene, it is necessary for the government to find internal sources of funding to finance the project, as efforts are being made to find strategic investors to complete the project.

“Attracting serious investors depends largely on visible progress on site… without consistent funding and tangible improvement, it would be difficult to convince partners to inject fresh capital,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu II added.

The Boankra Inland Port is a major dry port project in the Ashanti Region aimed at bringing cargo handling services closer to central and northern Ghana.

For over 19 years, the project, which is seen as a game-changer to generate the needed revenue for the country, has missed its completion deadlines.

On a recent visit to the area, consultants said the project had progressed by only six percent instead of the estimated 20 percent projected for April 2026 due to financial constraints.

Presently, the terminal area of the logistics terminal is 98 percent complete, with the freight station, mechanical workshop, and bonded warehouse at an advanced stage of completion.

Consultants for the project, Dr. J.B. Koranteng Yorke of Vision Consults, revealed that “There are some components that we haven’t started because of funding. The interchange is one of them. The fire station is about 40% completed.”

The contractors, for this reason, are unable to work at full capacity, further extending the completion period.

Mr Nketiah, speaking to the Asantehene, underscored the need to complete the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal to improve revenue generation for the country and project partners.

According to him, investment spent on the project was done judiciously, further indicating that a chunk of the money spent had to go into ground preparations for the construction.

He assured commitments to seek investors to complete the project.

“We will have to do anything necessary to complete the project because it holds a lot of potential for national development,” he added.

Hinting at the need for railway development at the terminal, the Board Chairman indicated that, though the railway is necessary, the project can be operationalized without the lines.

“The railway line is very expensive, and it will not be viable to find a loan for it if there is no port. We will have to use the road before we can court investors to complete the railway lines,” he added.