Africa Must Modernise Ports To Compete Globally — Dantsoho

President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has stated that Africa cannot attain meaningful economic growth with outdated port infrastructure, stressing that major investments in modern ports, technology and deep sea facilities have become inevitable.

Dantsoho, who also serves as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said countries across West and Central Africa are now committed to modernising their ports in order to remain competitive in global trade and receive larger vessels.
Speaking at the close of the PMAWCA meetings in Lagos, Dantsoho praised President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy for providing the policy direction aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s maritime sector.
He explained that port infrastructure remains critical to economic growth, noting that no nation can expand its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) without modern and expanded ports.
According to him, the maritime industry requires significant investment in infrastructure, adding that obsolete facilities cannot support modern shipping demands.
“You cannot make progress with outdated facilities and still expect to attract newer and larger vessels,” he said.
Drawing a comparison, Dantsoho said a hotel built decades ago would require refurbishment to continue attracting customers, adding that ports must equally undergo regular upgrades to remain relevant.
He disclosed that countries within the region, including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and the Benin Republic, are already repositioning their port systems through ongoing upgrade and modernisation projects.
Dantsoho noted that while Nigeria is currently refurbishing the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports as a medium-term measure, the country must eventually develop more modern deep sea ports capable of handling future trade demands.
He said the Lekki Deep Sea Port represents progress for Nigeria but stressed that Africa must pursue larger and more advanced maritime facilities comparable to global port hubs.
“In Singapore, ports with hundreds of berths are being developed, while Guinea is working on a $20 billion deep sea port project. These are the kinds of investments Africa must pursue to compete globally,” he said.
The PMAWCA President also highlighted the increasing importance of technology, automation, artificial intelligence and robotics in port operations, noting that modern maritime administration now depends heavily on data-driven systems.
According to him, the Nigerian Ports Authority has achieved close to 90 per cent automation in its operations, while electronic payment and cargo processing systems have significantly improved efficiency.
He pointed to the electronic call-up system introduced at Apapa Port as one of the innovations that has greatly reduced traffic congestion within the port corridor.
“Today, motorists can enter and leave Apapa within minutes. Previously, people spent several hours and sometimes slept on bridges because of gridlock,” he stated.
Dantsoho further explained that Nigeria currently accounts for more than 70 per cent of cargo traffic entering the West and Central African sub-region because of its population size, large market and strategic role in serving neighbouring landlocked countries such as Niger, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso.
He said Nigeria’s vast consumer market and youthful population provide enormous maritime and economic opportunities if backed with modern infrastructure.
“Our market extends beyond Nigeria because several landlocked countries rely on Nigerian ports. To sustain that advantage, we must provide deeper waters, stronger quays and infrastructure capable of accommodating bigger vessels,” he added.
He also stressed the need for stronger regional collaboration and peer review among African port authorities under PMAWCA, noting that member nations are increasingly sharing experiences, performance benchmarks and operational strategies to improve efficiency and competitiveness across the region.
According to Dantsoho, Africa’s future economic growth will depend largely on how quickly the continent’s maritime sector adapts to global realities through infrastructure renewal, technological innovation and regional integration.