Moves to revive defunct Ghana Black Star Line underway - McDan

Efforts are underway to revive the defunct Ghana Black Star Line (BSL), the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of McDan Group of Companies, Dr Daniel Mckorley, has said.

“Processes are far advanced to revive the defunct BSL as we have already procured two shipping vessels and two cargo planes to start running an African shipping line,” he said, during the 20th and eighth matriculation ceremony of the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Accra last Friday.

The restoration, he said, would among other things provide jobs for the youth and ensure Ghana utilised the maritime sector to revive the economy.

A revamped BSL, he said, would ensure that Ghana utilised the massive opportunities within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

The erstwhile BSL was a government-owned shipping line established by Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, in October 1957, after the government’s commercial engagement with representatives of Zim, Israeli National Shipping Line.

Ghana’s BSL, however, went down due to financial challenges and mismanagement in the 90s.

According to Dr Mckorley, there were huge employment opportunities within the sector and reviving the BSL would be one of the efforts to ensure that Ghanaian graduates, especially from the RMU, were absorbed into the sector.

The business mogul also pledged to partner the RMU, support with running of specific courses and employing its graduates as part of his contribution to economic growth in the country.

“RMU is one of the universities that can guarantee students 90 percent direct employment after school and must be supported to provide more opportunities to the Ghanaian youth,” he stressed.

He urged students to become well-rounded individuals by acquiring 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity.

On his part, the Ag. Vice-Chancellor of the RMU, Dr Jethro W Brooks Jnr., said the university was committed to providing quality education for graduates to fit into industry.

He said partnering sector players such as McDan was a huge boost as they would endeavour to tap into the rich experience to develop their students to compete globally.