Ghanaian presidential hopeful and businessman, Nana Kwame Bediako, known as Freedom Jacob Ceasar or Cheddar, has elaborated on his ambitious plan to connect Kumasi, a landlocked region in Ghana, to the sea.
Bediako previously pledged to dredge a sea to Kumasi to stimulate economic activities in the country, a proposal met with skepticism by many Ghanaians.
During a listening tour at the University of Cape Coast, Cheddar explained his vision, citing his childhood fascination with maps and Africa’s geographical layout. He also highlighted the untapped potential of Ghana’s water bodies, including the Pra and Oti Rivers.
“When I was checking the map of this country, I saw the rivers Pra and Oti. When you’re coming from Kumasi to Cape Coast, the big river is just there. It’s not connected.
“When I started this tour, I went to Techiman, then to Tamale, then to Bolga, then to Bogoso, then to Techiman. So every time I went to the room, I quickly studied the map of that region. Then I found out that there’s a river Tano in Techiman, and it goes all the way to the end of Takoradi, sharing the border with the Ivorian coast. Next to it is the sea,” he explained.
Cheddar said he was going to leverage these rivers for transportation by connecting them to the sea through dredging.
“So what we have to do is just dredge our land, let the sea merge with the water bodies, the river, and the lagoon, and start to use it as a transportation. It’s been there, but we haven’t thought of it.
“You can look at the Manchester canal, all of you can google how they dredged the sea to merge with the river for it to become that,” he said.
The proposal, which has sparked debate, aims to transform the economic landscape by positioning Kumasi as a hub for sea transport, potentially creating new trade routes and opportunities.
Cheddar’s plan draws inspiration from global examples like the Manchester Canal, where inland areas have been connected to the sea, suggesting a similar possibility for Ghana.