Tema port congestion: Ghana must stop managing symptoms and fix the system

The congestion at the Port of Tema should be a wake-up call for Ghana. A country cannot aspire to become a regional trade and logistics hub while importers struggle to evacuate containers, trucks spend valuable hours in queues, and businesses absorb the growing cost of delays.

The problem is no longer simply about moving containers through a port; it is about how efficiently Ghana manages the entire logistics chain.

In August 2026, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) attributed landside congestion partly to increased import traffic, accumulating empty containers, and road congestion. By October 9, port authorities and industry stakeholders were still engaging to identify practical solutions to cargo evacuation challenges. These developments suggest that the problem requires more than temporary operational adjustments.

The consequences extend far beyond the port gates. Delayed cargo attracts additional storage and demurrage charges, while trucks that spend hours in queues make fewer trips and become less productive. Manufacturers face uncertainty over raw-material deliveries, exporters risk missing shipping schedules, and importers struggle to plan inventory and distribution. Ultimately, some of these costs are passed on to consumers.

Yet, congestion should not automatically be interpreted as a shortage of terminal space. It can also reflect weaknesses in the systems that connect the terminal to the wider economy.

Consider the journey of an imported container: it must be discharged, processed by the relevant authorities, cleared, collected by a transporter, and delivered to its destination. Empty containers must then be returned or repositioned. If any stage is delayed, containers occupy valuable space, and the entire process slows down.

This is where project management becomes critical. Ghana needs a coordinated logistics system with clear responsibilities, measurable performance targets, and accountability across the institutions involved.

First, the GPHA, Customs, terminal operators, shipping lines, and freight forwarders should adopt a shared performance framework covering inspection times, cargo release, container evacuation, and truck turnaround.

Second, inspection procedures should be risk-based, with effective coordination among regulatory agencies. Legitimate revenue protection must remain a priority, but compliant cargo should not face avoidable delays because agencies operate in silos.

Third, shipping lines and importers must contribute to efficient container management. Empty containers should be evacuated promptly, while importers and clearing agents should expedite the removal of released cargo.

Fourth, Ghana must strengthen inland container depots, truck parks, road connectivity, and rail-based cargo evacuation. Expanding terminal capacity without improving the infrastructure that moves cargo beyond the terminal risks transferring congestion from one location to another.

Finally, port performance data should be published regularly. The public deserves to know how long cargo waits, where delays occur, and whether interventions are working.

Tema Port is too important to Ghana's economy for congestion to become an accepted feature of doing business. The solution requires collaboration, disciplined execution, and accountability. A port's true capacity is not measured by how many containers it can discharge, but by how efficiently those containers reach their final destinations. Ghana must stop managing congestion as a recurring emergency and start managing its logistics chain as one integrated system.

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