The Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced that the government will use domestic funds to construct an expanded railway line from Takoradi to Nyinahin in the Ashanti Region, beginning in 2027.
Presenting the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament, Dr Forson outlined the project as a strategic move to overhaul Ghana’s rail network, drive local mineral processing, and establish the Takoradi Port as a primary trade gateway to the Sahel.
The initial phase will run through key mining communities, including Nsuta and Awaso, creating an efficient corridor to haul bauxite and manganese to processing facilities in the Western Region. According to the Minister, moving raw materials to the western processing enclave will help Ghana retain more revenue from its natural resources rather than exporting them unprocessed.
“Beginningin 2027, we will use our own resources to construct a railway line from Takoradi to Nyinahin,” Dr Forson told the House.
Beyond the mining sector, the government plans to extend the line northwards from Nyinahin to Hamile in the Upper West Region starting in 2030. This second phase will link the rail network to a modern inland port at Hamile, designed to ease the transit of goods between Ghana’s coast and landlocked Sahelian neighbours—specifically Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
Dr Forson stressed that the initiative goes beyond basic transport infrastructure, framing it as a catalyst for industrial growth and job creation along the north-south corridor.
“This railway must power Ghanaian industries, support local processing and create jobs for our people,” he stated.
Highlighting the need to maximise returns on the nation’s mineral wealth, he added: “We must move our minerals towards greater value and our people towards greater prosperity.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
