THE Vice President of Colombia, Francia Elena Márquez Mina, on Friday, led a high-level business delegation to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) as part of efforts to explore investment opportunities and deepen bilateral trade relations between Colombia and Ghana.
The delegation was received on behalf of the Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority by the Director of Port of Tema, Mr Tebon Zumah, along with management officials of GPHA.
The visit aimed at identifying areas of mutual business interest while strengthening economic and commercial ties between the two countries.
Vice President Márquez Mina underscored the critical role ports play in national economic development, stressing the need for stronger collaboration between ports in Colombia and Ghana to drive growth and shared prosperity.
She noted that Colombia was pursuing a vision to reconnect with the world through strategic trade partnerships, adding that Ghana holds a special place in that vision due to historical and cultural links.
According to her, Colombia seeks to strengthen trade relations with Ghana through enhanced port cooperation to improve livelihoods in both countries.
The Vice President revealed Colombia’s interest in exporting Colombian goods to Ghana and establishing a direct maritime route between Colombia and Ghana, noting that such a route is geographically feasible through one of Colombia’s two major ports.
She also proposed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ports of Colombia and Ghana to formalise cooperation.
Additionally, Márquez Mina announced that Colombia would host an African Trade Forum in March 2026 and formally invited the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to participate.
She emphasised the importance of transforming historical maritime routes once associated with the transatlantic slave trade into modern routes of trade, partnership, and mutual development.
In his remarks, the Director of the Port of Tema, Mr Tebon Zumah, reaffirmed that international trade was impossible without efficient port infrastructure and welcomed the proposal for closer collaboration.
He expressed support for the idea of exchange programmes between Ghanaian ports and sister ports in Colombia to facilitate knowledge sharing and capacity building.
Mr Zumah also welcomed the Vice President’s call to redefine historical trade routes as channels of prosperity and highlighted Ghana’s strategic position as a gateway to landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
He noted that Colombia could leverage Ghana’s ports to access these markets and mentioned opportunities for tourism development through the introduction of passenger vessel services.
As part of the visit, the Vice President and her delegation toured key facilities at the Port of Tema, including Meridian Port Services (MPS) Terminal 3 and the Fruit Terminal, where they observed ongoing port operations.
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