By Juliet Ezeh
President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has warned that Africa risks falling behind in global trade if countries across the continent fail to modernise their port infrastructure and invest in deep sea facilities, technology and automation.
Dantsoho, who also serves as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said West and Central African nations are already taking steps to reposition their ports to handle larger vessels and remain relevant in the increasingly competitive global maritime industry.
Speaking at the close of the PMAWCA meetings in Lagos, he praised President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy for providing policy direction aimed at transforming Nigeria’s maritime sector.
According to him, modern port infrastructure is essential for economic expansion, stressing that no nation can grow its GDP significantly without upgrading and expanding its ports.
“This is an industry that requires huge investment in infrastructure. You cannot make progress with obsolete facilities and still expect to receive newer and larger vessels,” he said.
“You cannot have a hotel built 50 years ago and expect modern customers to continue coming without refurbishment. It is the same thing with ports.”
Dantsoho said countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin Republic are currently pursuing port modernisation and upgrade projects to improve competitiveness.
He revealed that Nigeria is rehabilitating the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports as a medium-term measure but noted that the country must ultimately develop more deep sea ports capable of handling future trade demands.
While describing the Lekki Deep Sea Port as a major step forward, he stressed that Africa must aspire to build world-class maritime infrastructure comparable to leading global port hubs.
“In Singapore, they are building ports with hundreds of berths. Guinea is developing a $20 billion deep sea port project. These are the kinds of investments Africa must begin to pursue if we want to compete globally,” he said.
The PMAWCA president also underscored the growing importance of technology, automation, artificial intelligence and robotics in modern port administration, saying efficient maritime operations are now driven largely by digital systems.
According to him, the Nigerian Ports Authority has already achieved close to 90 per cent automation, with electronic payment and cargo processing systems helping to improve operational efficiency.
He cited the electronic call-up system at Apapa Port as a major innovation that has significantly eased traffic congestion around the port corridor.
“Today, you can go into Apapa and leave within minutes. Before now, people spent hours and sometimes slept on the bridge because of congestion,” he said.
Dantsoho added that Nigeria currently handles more than 70 per cent of cargo traffic into the West and Central African sub-region because of its large population, strategic location and role in serving landlocked countries such as Niger, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso.
He noted that Nigeria’s large consumer market and youthful population position the country for greater maritime and economic growth if supported by modern infrastructure.
“Our market extends beyond Nigeria because several landlocked countries depend on Nigerian ports. But to sustain that advantage, we must provide deeper waters, stronger quays and modern infrastructure that can accommodate bigger ships,” he added.
He also emphasised the need for stronger regional collaboration among African port authorities through PMAWCA, noting that member states are increasingly exchanging ideas, performance benchmarks and operational strategies to improve efficiency across the region.
According to Dantsoho, Africa’s economic future will depend largely on how quickly the continent modernises its maritime sector through infrastructure renewal, technological advancement and regional integration.
