One of Ghana’s strengths for corridor development is its relatively large urban population in the hinterland. Ghana has developed large regional cities such as Greater Kumasi (3 million inhabitants in 2015) and Tamale (0.5 million inhabitants in 2015). Greater Kumasi is located between two regions (interior and coastal), about 270 km from the port of Tema. Tamale is the capital of the Northern Region, about 650 km from the coastal region. Tamale’s population is expected to grow to 1.8 million by 2040. These cities can act as service centres for rural areas, but they can also host industries. In this sense, they can become the industrial hubs of the interior.
However, the eastern part of the country is occupied by Lake Volta, and the central corridor of Ghana follows a very curved line, starting from Tema in the north, turning west and then east. The disadvantage of the corridor is therefore the large distance between the coastal and inland areas.
In addition, Ghana’s railways are not operational and, given the situation, it will be difficult to restore them. One of the reasons for this paralysis is inefficiency, from the point of view of freight transport: the eastern railway line was about 300 km long and the western line was about 280 km long. The length of the Ghana Railway is not long enough to be effective. The railway, which was inadequate as a means of transporting goods over long distances, was supplemented by the Lake Volta waterway. Petroleum products were transported by combining 1) the pipeline between the port of Tema and Akosombo, 2) the Lake Volta waterway and 3) the pipeline between Buipe and Bolgatanga. This combined transport, which has experienced various problems in recent years, is in a state of dysfunction. Urgent intervention is needed.
The port of Tema is characterised, in comparison with neighboring ports, by its low volume of goods handled for transit to landlocked (French-speaking) countries. The port of Tema plans to increase the volume of goods handled for transit in order to strengthen its functions as the central port of the sub-region.
Ghana is characterised by its geographical position surrounded by French-speaking countries. The major sub-regional strategy of economic union expects Ghana to play the role of promoting the union with neighbouring countries on the spatial (by transport) and economic (by the customs union) levels.
