A coastal development advocate has called for explicit funding allocation for the Keta Port Project and the West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Investment Project (WACA ResIP II) in Ghana’s 2026 national budget to accelerate economic growth and strengthen coastal protection in the Volta Region. Joel Degue of the Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Management (CNREM) made the appeal in a memorandum dated November 7, 2025.
The submission addressed to the Volta Regional Minister, Members of Parliament for Anloga, Keta, and Ketu South constituencies, and the Managing Director of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) urged that both initiatives be reflected in next year’s fiscal plan to attract investment and accelerate implementation. Degue proposed that the Ministry of Finance and Parliamentary Budget Committee ensure dedicated budget lines for the projects in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
The memorandum recommended that the Keta Port Project receive explicit financial allocation under the Ministry of Transport to transition from planning to construction. Specifically, it called for GPHA to complete office facilities at Kedzi, establish a dedicated Keta Port Directorate, initiate land acquisition, and begin tender processes to engage investors and contractors for design and implementation.
Degue proposed that the port’s full operational roadmap be finalized by January 2026, signaling government commitment to advancing the project as a strategic trade and logistics hub serving eastern Ghana and the wider Gulf of Guinea region. The first phase is estimated to cost approximately $600 million and will encompass port infrastructure, an entire logistics city with road and rail connections, and supporting facilities.
The Keta Port concept has existed in Ghana’s development plans for decades, with repeated feasibility studies and announcements that never progressed beyond planning documents. Ghana’s two main ports, Tema and Takoradi, are approaching logistical saturation with high cargo volumes and increasing turnaround times. A fully developed Keta Port would complement existing facilities, enabling a more balanced national port system and improving resilience in maritime trade management.
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, GPHA Board Chairman, recently described the Keta Port as strategic infrastructure poised to transform trade and logistics across the sub region. He noted the project will create new maritime trade corridors linking Ghana to Togo, Benin, and Nigeria while enhancing the country’s competitiveness in global shipping and logistics.
GPHA has held public hearings on the project’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The hearings brought together traditional authorities, parliamentarians, engineers, environmental experts, and community representatives in Dzelukope to discuss the project’s development with emphasis on sustainability, inclusivity, and long term socio economic transformation.
The memorandum also called for WACA ResIP II inclusion in the 2026 budget under both the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and the Ministry of Works and Housing. The program focuses on coastal resilience, shoreline protection, and community adaptation, addressing growing threats of erosion and flooding to Ghana’s coastal settlements.
Ghana officially launched WACA ResIP II in August 2024 as a $155 million initiative funded by the World Bank to enhance coastline resilience and restore critical coastal ecosystems. The project is financed through a $150 million credit facility from the International Development Association (IDA) and an additional $5 million grant from PROBLUE, a World Bank administered multi donor trust fund.
MESTI spearheads the project with Minister Ophelia Mensah Hayford overseeing implementation through steering and technical committees. The initiative targets flooding, pollution, and erosion in critical areas including the Korle Lagoon, Densu Basin, and Keta Lagoon. Ghana’s coastline experiences significant erosion averaging two to five meters annually, with some areas facing up to 17 meters of erosion annually.
Naila Ahmed, WACA ResIP II Program Leader at the World Bank, highlighted that the investment responds to severe impacts of climate change on coastal communities, adversely affecting residents’ livelihoods and wellbeing. Since the 1960s, temperatures in Ghana have increased by about 1°C, with projections suggesting a further rise of 1°C to 3°C by mid century and up to 5.3°C by the end of the century.
The Coastal Civil Society Forum Coordinator Noble Wadzah has clarified that WACA interventions are designed for long term sustainable resilience rather than short term emergency relief, using nature based solutions such as sand dunes and mangrove restoration to combat erosion, flooding, and pollution. The Forum highlighted successful coastal resilience projects in Benin and Togo where WACA has implemented long term, study based solutions.
Degue appealed to the Volta Regional Minister and the area’s three coastal MPs to lobby the Ministry of Finance and Parliamentary Budget Committee to secure funding for both projects and follow up on implementation once approved. He noted that prioritizing both initiatives would stimulate regional commerce, expand maritime infrastructure, and protect vulnerable communities.
The inclusion of both Keta Port and WACA ResIP in the 2026 budget will be a concrete step toward revitalizing the coastal economy, enhancing resilience against climate impacts, and generating sustainable jobs in the Volta Region and beyond, according to Degue. If approved, the projects are expected to enhance Ghana’s competitiveness in maritime trade while reinforcing environmental sustainability and addressing developmental imbalances between coastal regions.