Africa's Most Modern Port

Until quite recently there were very few modern deep-water harbours able to accommodate ocean-going ships around the African coastline. Apart from the ports of South African and the Mediterranean coast, most of the maritime trade was handled at the numerous surf ports which had served the African people for centuries. Overseas vessels which called at these ports had to anchor out from the coast while fleets of the traditional paddle craft carried the goods in relays between ship and shore. Quite obviously such an out-of-date method had proved increasingly uneconomic in modern times, and as trade grew so did the delays to shipping.

In the years following World War II, queues of ocean-going ships might be seen off the African surf awaiting their turn to discharge or load cargoes. Since then, however, the principal harbours on the east and west coasts have been dredged and deepened. Concrete wharves with modern cargo sheds have been constructed to allow the direct berthing of deep vessels, and electric and mechanized handling appliances have been progressively installed. As a result of the greatly improved rate of servicing the ships, overseas trade at these harbours has increased rapidly.

The most important single maritime development in Africa during the past decade is Ghana's great new port of Tema, which has replaced the surf port of Accra a few miles away.

Eastern Ghana now has a first-class modern seaport for handling large ships and all types of cargo - a facility which will assist the country's development. Without it, the famous Volta River Project - Ghana's largest single, economic undertaking could never have been started at all. Tema Harbour is nearly one mile in circumference and, with a water area of about 500 acres, is the largest man-made harbour around the African coastline. Eventually there will be twenty deep-water berths for shipping and the port can handle up to a million tons of dry cargo annually. There is a separate oil berth for ocean super-tankers of up to 34,000 tons. The benefits of this new African port are not to be confined to Ghana alone. Through the developing international highways, other states in the region will be able to share its advantages and thereby develop overseas trade for the good of all.

The extensive river systems of West Africa will play that part too. These are capable of great development as low-cost transport routes to serve the communities a very long way from the coast?