A team of Ghanaian researchers—Andy Mintah Yiadom, Emmanuel M. Amedeka Amenuveve, and Dr Lord Emmanuel Yamoah have produced a comprehensive study titled “Assessing the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Supply Chain Resilience and Disruption Management: A Case Study of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Takoradi.”
The authors bring to the work a diverse professional background: Yiadom, a branch manager at Unique Insurance Company Ltd; Amenuveve, Deputy Chief Procurement Manager at the Kintampo Health Research Centre of the Ghana Health Service; and Yamoah, a lecturer at Takoradi Technical University. Together, they combine perspectives from business, public sector procurement, and academia, offering both theoretical and practical grounding for their analysis.
Scope of the Study
The research focuses on Takoradi Port, Ghana’s first commercial port and a strategic hub for the nation’s mining, petroleum, and bulk cargo industries. With its ongoing modernisation and digitalisation projects, the port provides a fitting backdrop to assess the potential of AI in maritime operations. The study situates Takoradi within the broader challenges of global supply chains, which are increasingly exposed to disruptions from pandemics, climate change, geopolitical uncertainties, and technological risks.
Objectives
The central aim of the study is to evaluate how AI applications—predictive analytics, automation, and real-time monitoring—can enhance resilience and disruption management at the port. Specifically, it investigates whether AI can help anticipate risks, strengthen operational flexibility, and reduce recovery time after crises. The authors also sought to identify barriers to AI adoption and recommend strategies for leveraging digital transformation in Ghana’s maritime sector.
Methodology
To achieve these aims, the researchers adopted a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative surveys of 30 port stakeholders provided statistical insights into AI awareness, current risk practices, and readiness for adoption. Complementing this, 17 in-depth interviews with port managers, regulators, and technology providers revealed the human, institutional, and organisational dynamics influencing digital transformation. The study further drew on secondary sources, including GPHA annual reports, UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport, and international benchmarks of AI-enabled ports. This triangulation ensured both depth and validity of the findings.
Key Findings
The study paints a nuanced picture of AI integration at Takoradi:
High Awareness, Low Readiness: While 65% of respondents reported strong awareness of AI’s potential, only 45% felt their organisations were prepared to implement it. The authors term this the “knowledge-implementation asymmetry.”
Reactive Risk Management: Current practices are largely manual and reactive, with only 30% of disruption recovery processes being data-driven. Reliance on human judgment and post-event responses leaves the port vulnerable to repeated shocks.
AI as a Resilience Enabler: Statistical analysis revealed strong correlations between AI awareness/readiness and resilience outcomes (r=0.90 and r=0.94). This confirms that AI adoption could significantly improve anticipation, adaptation, and recovery.
Structural Barriers: Interviews highlighted fragmented digital infrastructure, skills shortages, limited interoperability between systems, and the absence of clear AI governance frameworks as the biggest obstacles to adoption.
Recommendations
The authors propose a phased roadmap for AI adoption:
Short-term (0–2 years): Introduce AI literacy programmes, audit existing infrastructure, and pilot small-scale AI projects.
Medium-term (3–5 years): Invest in system interoperability, develop regulatory frameworks for AI ethics and cybersecurity, and scale up workforce training
Long-term (5+ years): Position Takoradi as a regional digital hub by deploying AI-driven predictive analytics, automated inspections, and congestion management systems.
Beyond port operations, the study recommends that Ghana view AI as a national competitive advantage. By aligning investment, policy, and human capital development, the country could leapfrog traditional development stages and establish itself as a leader in smart logistics across West Africa.
Contribution
This work contributes to both academic scholarship and practical decision-making. It fills critical gaps in the literature on African port systems, providing rare empirical data on AI readiness in Ghana. At the same time, it offers policymakers, port authorities, and logistics managers a roadmap for building resilient, adaptive, and future-ready supply chains.
The authors conclude that while Takoradi Port faces undeniable infrastructural and institutional hurdles, AI presents a transformative opportunity. With strategic leadership, phased investment, and human capital development, the port could set a precedent for digital transformation in Africa’s maritime sector.
The full research paper can be accessed below
https://doi.org/10.64839/jii.v5i8.3
