Minister for Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah
• The transport minister has said government is committed to channeling more investment into hygrograph data to enhance the nation’s blue economy
• The minister said, as a coastal state, the nation is endowed with marine resources from which it derives enormous benefits
• The nation currently has a standing National Hydrographic and Oceanographic Committee to build its national hydrographic capacity
The Minister for Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah, has said that government is putting measures in place to enhance the hygrograph data in the country to boost the blue economy of the country.
The minister, according to a report by thebftonline.com, noted that the nation’s maritime sector does not only hold a huge economic acceleration opportunity but also has the ability to offer meaningful jobs to the youth.
Speaking at an event to mark 100 years of World Hydrography Day on the theme ‘100 years of international cooperation in hydrography’, the minister said, as a coastal state, the nation is endowed with marine resources from which it derives enormous benefits.
“I believe when it comes to the exploration of marine resources for national development, the important role of Hydrography cannot be downplayed. Through the work of hydrographers, we are able to measure and describe the physical features of oceans, seas, lakes and rivers, as well as prediction of their change over time to facilitate navigation safety and support other marine activities including security and defence, scientific research and environmental protection,” thebftonline.com quoted the minister.
He added that maritime trade constitutes over 70 percent of Ghana’s international trade, the reason it is important to give the sector the needed attention.
The nation currently has a standing National Hydrographic and Oceanographic Committee (NHO) to build its national hydrographic capacity. The committee was established in 2015 and subsequently inauguration under the auspices of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) in 2020.
However, Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primary purpose of safety of navigation and in support of all other marine activities, including economic development, security and defence, scientific research, and environmental protection.