The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, has left Accra for Japan to attend a major international maritime conference, underscoring his dual role as a top political leader and the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA).

Mr. Asiedu-Nketiah departed Ghana on Friday, October 3, 2025, leading a high-level GHAPOHA delegation to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), scheduled to take place in Kobe, Japan, from October 7 to 9, 2025.

Ghana’s Participation in Global Maritime Dialogue

The IAPH World Ports Conference, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary in the city where the association was founded, is focusing this year on the theme: "Reinvention and Prosperity in Turbulent Times." The Ghanaian delegation's attendance is critical as it seeks to strengthen Ghana's position in the global trade ecosystem and attract investment into the country's port infrastructure.

Ghana’s key interests at the summit include:

• Supply Chain Resilience: Participating in high-level discussions on how ports can adapt to permanent instability in trade relations, tariffs, and geopolitical conflicts—a key concern for a West African trading hub.
• Energy Transition & Decarbonization: Engaging with global leaders on the massive investments needed for port infrastructure to support shipping's transition to low- or zero-carbon fuels, an area the IAPH is heavily prioritizing.
• Digitalization and Cybersecurity: Learning new strategies for IMO digitalization, data collaboration, and improving resilience against emerging technological risks.

The conference, which attracts port leaders, shipping executives, and policymakers from over 80 member nationalities, handles more than one-third of the world’s seaborne trade and over 60% of global container traffic.

Mr. Asiedu-Nketiah, who was sworn in as GHAPOHA Board Chairman in June 2025, is expected to leverage the forum to advance the government's agenda for ports modernization and efficiency, particularly at the country's major gateways, Tema and Takoradi.

Political Continuity Maintained

The NDC confirmed that the party's administrative continuity will be maintained during the Chairman's 10-day absence.

Awudu Sofo Azorka, a Vice Chairman of the NDC, will assume the role of Acting National Chairman until Mr. Asiedu-Nketiah and the GHAPOHA delegation return to Ghana on Sunday, October 12, 2025.

The trip also comes on the heels of the Chairman's recent Eastern Region "thank-you" tour, an initiative that sparked considerable discussion within the NDC regarding succession politics ahead of the 2028 elections, further highlighting the political significance of his movements.

The Chairman's international engagement aligns with the government's broader efforts to deepen bilateral ties with Japan, following President John Dramani Mahama’s August 2025 trip to Tokyo for the TICAD 9 conference, reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two nations.