Ghana has taken a significant step toward sustainable ocean governance with a national training workshop on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), organized by the Fisheries Committee of the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Ghana’s Fisheries Commission.
The four-day workshop, held in Accra, forms part of the MarEcoPlan project, a $3 million, three-year initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to pilot MSP approaches in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo to support nature-based coastal solutions and the implementation of payment for ecosystem services in the Gulf of Guinea.
Marine Spatial Planning is a science-based, participatory process that allocates marine space to different uses in ways that reduce conflict, support sustainable development, and protect valuable marine ecosystems. It is particularly relevant for Ghana, where pressures on ocean resources from fishing, oil exploration, shipping, and coastal development are mounting.
The training brought together stakeholders from key institutions including the Ghana Petroleum Commission, Ghana Navy, Ghana Maritime Authority, Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, and civil society organisations such as Hen Mpoano. Participants were taken through practical applications of MSP, covering planning tools, conflict prevention mechanisms, and strategies for ecological and socio-economic balance in marine use.
FCWC Secretary-General Dr. Gaston Antoine Djihinto opened the workshop, noting that the event marked the beginning of deeper regional cooperation in marine governance. He emphasized that MSP offers a structured framework to ensure more equitable and sustainable use of marine resources at a time when West Africa’s marine environments are under significant strain.
Kossi Ahoedo, MarEcoPlan Project Coordinator, highlighted that several capacity-building sessions will follow to equip national teams with the technical knowledge needed to develop, implement, and monitor MSP frameworks effectively.
Ghana’s Fisheries Commission Executive Director, Prof. Benjamin Campion, reiterated the country’s commitment to ocean sustainability, pointing to Ghana’s designation of Cape Three Points as a Marine Protected Area. He stressed that preserving ocean health is essential not only for biodiversity but also for livelihoods in fisheries and tourism, and for climate resilience in coastal communities.
The workshop was facilitated by international MSP expert Dieynaba Seck, with support from Ghana’s national consultant Dr. Kwame Adu Agyekum. Through interactive sessions and role play, participants explored practical ways to harmonize competing interests across marine and coastal zones, while aligning planning tools with Ghana’s ecological and economic realities.
As Ghana moves forward with its MSP strategy under MarEcoPlan, stakeholders see it as a critical tool not just for environmental conservation, but also for unlocking long-term value from the country’s blue economy.
