On Thursday, 18 June 2026, the people of Keta received encouraging news regarding the proposed Keta Port project. During a sensitization and working visit by officials of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), stakeholders were informed that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Permit has been attained and that the Head Office variation has also been approved, paving the way for work on the port project to continue.

For me, this development represents the possibility of a different economic future for Keta. The Keta Port presents perhaps one of the greatest opportunities of our generation to transform the economic fortunes of our municipality and the surrounding communities.

The vision is ambitious. A dedicated port serving the transit trade needs of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger would place Keta at the centre of regional commerce. Goods that currently move through other ports in the sub-region could one day pass through Keta. Businesses would emerge. Investments would follow. Economic activity would increase.

One of the most important messages from the GPHA engagement was the need for local people to begin preparing themselves now. This advice could not be more timely.

As we look ahead, it is important that we begin positioning ourselves for the possibilities this project could create. Development does not begin only when the first ship docks at the port. It begins when people invest in knowledge, skills, and enterprise. It begins when students pursue excellence in their studies, when apprentices master their trades, and when our communities prepare themselves to participate meaningfully in the future that lies ahead.

The future port economy will require skilled workers at every level. There will be opportunities for people with expertise in electrical engineering, welding, fabrication, plumbing, heavy equipment operation, logistics management, information technology, environmental management, accounting, procurement, and maritime studies. There will also be opportunities for entrepreneurs to establish businesses that can support port operations and the many people who will work in and around the port ecosystem.

This is why I believe the conversation about the Keta Port must not only be about infrastructure. It must also be about human capital.

Building the capacity of our people to take advantage of the benefits that will flow from this project requires planning, preparation, and commitment beginning today.

As a son of the soil, I want our young people to see this project not simply as a government initiative, but as an opportunity in which they have a direct stake. I hope every student, apprentice, graduate, and young entrepreneur will ask themselves a simple question: “How do I position myself today for the opportunities that the Keta Port may create tomorrow?”

The attainment of the EIA Permit is an important milestone. The approval of the Head Office variation is another positive step. But the true success of the Keta Port will ultimately be measured not by the size of the ships that arrive, but by the number of lives transformed, businesses created, jobs generated, and dreams realized among the people of Keta.

The future is knocking on our door.

As a community, we must embrace the possibilities ahead. We must invest in ourselves, acquire relevant skills, pursue excellence, and prepare for the changes that this project may bring. If we do so, when the port finally becomes a reality, the people of Keta will not merely witness development; they will be active participants in it.