How Ghana became boat supplier under Nkrumah’s industrialization agenda in 1963

Did you know that many countries used to rely on Ghana to produce and supply them with boats?

Yes, you heard that right and there are facts to back that.

Recent newspaper clippings shared from state-owned Daily Graphic newspaper has detailed how Ghana’s industrialization agenda had long kicked off vibrantly with many countries vying to attain same.

The clippings showed that under Dr Kwame Nkrumah's tenure as president, Ghana became the go-to country for the production and sale of boats used for various purposes such as sailing, fishing among others.

This soaring demand for the boats exceeded the capacity of the Sekondi branch of the production company where the boats were being produced by Ghanaians.

During that period, more than 300 made-in-Ghana boats by the Ghana Boatyards Corporation were actively plying the seas and rivers in many parts of the world.

This demand forced the corporation to build a modern boatyard spanning 40,000 square feet located at Tema.

“This expansion facilitated the construction of much larger crafts in steel as well as in wood. This yard also includes a repair workshop,” the Daily Graphic wrote from its archives in January 25, 1963 with the headline ‘Many countries buy boats from Ghana’.

Just three years on, after the overthrow of Nkrumah in 1966, the Ghana Boatyards Corporation operations collapsed coupled with the failure of successive governments to revamp the once vibrant venture.

Today, that boatyard later became known as the Tema Shipyard which is currently seeking investment to revamp its operations while most of the machines and equipment have lost their value after they were acquired more than 60 years ago.

The story detailing Ghana’s industrialization drive for boat production was written by Eugene Asante in 1963.

See the newspaper clippings below:

From the Archives: [Daily Graphic - January 25, 1963]
Many countries buy boats from Ghana.

More than 300 boats which were actively plying the seas and rivers in many parts of the world were made in Ghana by the Ghana Boatyards Corporation. pic.twitter.com/ZaNJrQXqeW

— DailyGraphic GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) December 4, 2023