The Regional Maritime University, in collaboration with the National Association for Heavy-duty Equipment Operators of Ghana (NAHEOG), has graduated its 9th cohort of forklift and mobile crane operators in a ceremony emphasising the vital role of skilled logistics professionals in accelerating Africa’s economic development.
The ceremony, held under the theme “Job Creation through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” saw 30 participants graduate from an intensive eight-week training programme.
The graduation, held on 22nd December under the theme “Accelerating Africa’s Economy with an Improved Logistics Industry”, celebrated trainees who have completed their certification in heavy-duty equipment operation.
In his address, the Acting Vice-Chancellor emphasised that logistics serves as the lifeblood of progress across the continent, fuelling trade, driving industrialisation, strengthening supply chains, and fostering regional integration.
He described the occasion as more than simply a completion of training, highlighted the critical importance of the graduates’ new roles in the continent’s development.
“Today, we do not merely mark the completion of your training; we celebrate the dawn of your journey as vital contributors to Africa’s economic transformation,” he said.
“Remember, the world depends on your expertise. It depends on your ability to lift, move, and position the very materials that build cities, power industries, and sustain commerce. In your competence lies the strength of Africa’s logistics future,” he told the graduates.
“I urge you to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline, safety, and integrity. Let your work speak for you. Let excellence be your hallmark,” he said.
Each received a Professional Training Certificate of Competence, qualifying them to operate heavy-duty equipment both locally and internationally.
The university had earlier held its 8th graduation ceremony in September this year, during which a memorandum of understanding was signed with Samana HR Ghana to boost graduate employment opportunities.
Delivering the keynote address, president of NAHEOG Dominic Kofi Eyiah highlighted logistics as an often-invisible economic multiplier. He noted that poor logistics can increase product prices by 30 to 50 per cent, whilst improved logistics performance multiplies productivity without requiring additional resources.
Mr Eyiah said the difference between prosperous and struggling economies was primarily one of logistics performance.
“Across the world, the difference between prosperous economies and struggling ones is not talent, resources, or ambition—it is logistics performance,” he said.
He told graduates they had taken on a crucial economic role.
“You are no longer just operators of machines. You are operators of economic momentum,” Mr Eyiah said.
The ceremony highlighted the Strategic Investment Corporation’s (SIC) contribution to skills development in the sector, which the Vice-Chancellor described as “a shining example of responsibility in advancing skills development”.
The graduates join a growing community of professionals shaping Africa’s logistics and industrial future, with their expertise considered crucial for building cities, powering industries, and sustaining commerce across the continent.
