Asiedu Nketia pays a working visit to Japan

National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman, Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, has departed Accra for Japan on a working trip with a delegation from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA).

Mr. Asiedu-Nketiah, who also chairs the GHAPOHA Board, is leading the team to participate in the Annual General Meeting of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) scheduled in Kobe, Japan. The delegation is expected to return to Ghana on October 12, 2025.

Confirming his departure, the NDC National Secretariat said, “Chairman Asiedu-Nketiah has left Accra today, 3rd October 2025, for a working trip to Japan.”

The Secretariat explained that the purpose of the visit is to strengthen Ghana’s role in international maritime trade.

“As Chairman of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority Board, he is leading a delegation of the Authority to attend the Annual General Meeting of the IAPH,” the statement added.

In his absence, the party’s Vice Chairman, Awudu Sofo Azorka, will serve as acting National Chairman of the NDC. “Comrade Awudu Sofo Azorka will act as the National Chairman,” the Secretariat announced.

The NDC noted that Asiedu-Nketiah’s role reflects Ghana’s increasing involvement in global port and harbour management.

“His leadership at GHAPOHA and participation in the IAPH AGM demonstrate Ghana’s commitment to deepening cooperation with international stakeholders,” the statement emphasized.

The International Association of Ports and Harbours is a global platform that brings together port authorities, operators, and maritime experts to discuss industry challenges and opportunities.

Ghana’s participation, under Asiedu-Nketiah’s leadership, is expected to enhance the country’s profile in maritime development.

While unrelated, it marks the latest among a series of visits to Japan by senior officials of the Mahama administration, including the president himself.

President John Mahama met the Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan on the sidelines of TICAD 9 in Yokohama.

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During his visit in August, he acknowledged Ghana’s central role in Japan’s cocoa supply, noting that Ghana accounts for about 70% of Japan’s cocoa imports.

He also encouraged Japanese firms to expand investments in Ghana’s cocoa value chain, including a public–private partnership with the Cocoa Processing Company to revamp the plant and boost value addition.