GMA Director General calls for sustainable funding as cadets secure global sea-time

The Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Dr Kamal-Deen Ali, has welcomed the deployment of a new cohort of Ghanaian cadets for sea-time training on board Pacific International Lines (PIL) vessels in Singapore, describing it as a major step toward creating sustainable global opportunities for Ghanaian youth.

Receiving the cadets during a courtesy call, Dr Ali expressed immense pride in their achievement, noting, “Seeing Ghanaian youth join international vessels serves as a massive source of encouragement for the Authority.”

He explained that the GMA’s primary goal is to empower local youth while collectively benefiting the national economy. He charged the cadets to remain disciplined and focused, reminding them that their conduct and performance over the next 12 months would either open or close doors for colleagues seeking similar opportunities.

Dr Ali also indicated the Authority’s readiness to issue Certificates of Competency (CoC) upon completion of their mandatory training. However, he raised concerns about the high cost of maritime education in Ghana, revealing that training a cadet at the Regional Maritime University (RMU) ranges between $37,000 and $40,000.

“This is far too expensive if Ghana truly wishes to aggressively promote the industry,” he cautioned.

To address the challenge, he called for an urgent, structured conversation on a sustainable funding framework for seafarer training, proposing a collaborative partnership model involving state agencies, industry stakeholders, and seafarers themselves.

Central to this vision, he said, is the establishment of a Seafarers Development Fund. “The fund would not only finance education and expand access for aspiring mariners but would also serve as a welfare support for Ghanaian seafarers who might find themselves stranded abroad,” Dr Ali explained.

The deployment marks a milestone with Emmanuel Elorm Adjaho becoming the first graduate from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s Marine Engineering programme to secure a global sea-time placement. He joins Victor Afari, Daniel Tenkorang Annor, and Isaac Obeng from RMU, all selected after rigorous assessments by PIL.