Dantsoho Advocates Maritime Modernisation As Africa Expands Regional Port Dominance

By Enam Obiosio

The President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has warned that Africa risks losing global trade competitiveness without aggressive investment in modern ports, deep sea infrastructure and technology-driven maritime systems.

Speaking at the close of the recent PMAWCA meetings in Lagos, Dantsoho, who also serves as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said that countries across West and Central Africa are accelerating port modernisation programmes to accommodate larger vessels, strengthen trade competitiveness and support economic growth.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola,  for providing policy direction supporting ongoing repositioning within Nigeria’s maritime sector.

According to him, Nigeria is currently refurbishing Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port as medium-term interventions while expanding long-term deep sea port infrastructure capacity.

“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,” Dantsoho stated.

DECISION HIGHLIGHT

Nigeria and other West and Central African countries are intensifying port infrastructure renewal, automation and deep sea port development to improve maritime competitiveness and cargo handling capacity.

NPA is also expanding operational automation and logistics efficiency systems as part of broader maritime modernisation efforts.

DECISION MEMO

Dantsoho’s intervention reflects a broader strategic shift currently unfolding across Africa’s maritime sector.

For decades, African ports largely operated as conventional cargo gateways constrained by shallow draught limitations, weak intermodal connectivity, congestion and ageing infrastructure. The current push toward deep sea ports, automation and regional integration signals growing recognition that maritime infrastructure is increasingly central to trade competitiveness, industrialisation and economic growth.

NPA’s ongoing rehabilitation of Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port highlights attempts to stabilise legacy infrastructure while preparing for larger structural transition toward deeper and more technologically advanced port ecosystems.

Dr. Dantsoho’s emphasis on deeper waters, stronger quays and larger vessel accommodation reflects changing realities within global shipping economics, where larger container vessels increasingly dominate international trade routes.

Without modern ports capable of handling higher cargo volumes efficiently, African economies risk rising logistics costs, lower trans-shipment competitiveness and reduced attractiveness to global shipping lines.

“You cannot make progress with obsolete facilities and still expect to receive newer and larger vessels,” Dantsoho stated.

The comparison with Singapore and Guinea also reflects increasing pressure on African governments to scale maritime investments beyond incremental rehabilitation toward globally competitive logistics infrastructure.

Equally significant is the growing role of digitalisation within maritime administration.

According to Dantsoho, NPA has achieved nearly 90 percent automation across operational processes, including electronic payment and cargo systems.

He identified the electronic call-up system at Apapa Port as a major operational reform that significantly reduced congestion along 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 stated.

The automation drive signals a wider institutional transition from manual port administration toward data-driven logistics management integrating artificial intelligence, robotics and digital cargo processing systems.

Beyond infrastructure, Dantsoho’s remarks also highlight Nigeria’s strategic maritime positioning within West and Central Africa.

According to him, Nigeria currently accounts for more than 70 percent of cargo traffic within the sub-region because of its population size, consumer market and strategic access for landlocked countries including Niger, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso.

That dominance gives Nigeria significant regional trade leverage, but also increases pressure on authorities to sustain capacity expansion and operational efficiency.

The growing emphasis on peer review, benchmarking and operational collaboration under PMAWCA further suggests increasing regional coordination around maritime competitiveness and logistics integration.

For African economies seeking stronger participation within global supply chains, port modernisation is increasingly becoming not merely an infrastructure issue, but a strategic economic necessity.

DATA BOX

• Institutions: Nigerian Ports Authority / Port Management Association of West and Central Africa
• Event Location: Lagos
• Key Focus Areas:
  • Port modernisation
  • Deep sea port expansion
  • Automation
  • Regional maritime integration
• Infrastructure Projects Referenced:
  • Apapa Port rehabilitation
  • Tin Can Island Port refurbishment
  • Lekki Deep Sea Port expansion
• Operational Metrics:
  • Nearly 90 percent automation achieved by NPA
  • Nigeria accounts for over 70 percent of regional cargo traffic
• External Benchmark Referenced:
  • Guinea’s proposed $20 billion deep sea port project
• Key Technologies Highlighted:
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Robotics
  • Electronic cargo systems
  • Electronic call-up system

WHO WINS / WHO LOSES

Potential Winners:

• Shipping companies requiring deeper port access
• Logistics and cargo operators
• Port technology providers
• Landlocked regional economies dependent on Nigerian ports
• Export-oriented manufacturers and traders

Potential Losers:

• Ports failing to modernise infrastructure
• Manual logistics operators displaced by automation
• Regional ports unable to compete for larger vessels
• Economies dependent on outdated maritime systems

POLICY SIGNALS

NPA’s position signals increasing government focus on maritime infrastructure as a strategic economic growth asset rather than merely a transport utility.

The emphasis on automation, deep sea infrastructure and regional integration also reflects broader efforts to position Nigeria as a dominant logistics and trade hub within West and Central Africa.

The policy direction further suggests increasing alignment between maritime infrastructure expansion and wider economic diversification objectives.

INVESTOR SIGNAL

For investors, the modernisation drive indicates expanding opportunities across port infrastructure, marine logistics, automation systems, cargo handling and industrial supply chain services.

The emphasis on deep sea infrastructure and digital logistics also improves long-term prospects for trade efficiency and cargo throughput expansion.

However, sustaining investor confidence will depend on execution consistency, regulatory coordination and infrastructure financing capacity.

RISK RADAR

• High capital intensity of deep sea port projects
• Infrastructure financing constraints
• Slow implementation timelines
• Regional competition for cargo dominance
• Technology transition and workforce adaptation risks
• Congestion risks from rising cargo volumes
• Exposure to global shipping market volatility