West and Central African countries are preparing for a major transformation of their maritime sector as governments and port authorities intensify plans to modernise seaports, expand deep-sea infrastructure and improve the region’s competitiveness in global shipping.
At the centre of the ambitious regional drive is the proposed $20 billion Simandou-Morebaya Deep Seaport project in Guinea-Conakry, which industry leaders say could reshape maritime trade across the sub-region and position Africa more strongly within international logistics and supply chains.
The proposed investment forms part of a broader $27.8 billion commitment and pipeline of port infrastructure projects spread across several African countries. The investments include the $2 billion San Pedro Port project in Côte d’Ivoire, the $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Sea Port in Lagos, the $1.5 billion Tema Port project in Ghana and the $1.2 billion Ndayane Port project in Dakar, Senegal.
Additional projects include the $1 billion rehabilitation and upgrade of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Nigeria, alongside a proposed $600 million investment by APM Terminals aimed at improving port operations and infrastructure.
The discussions took centre stage during the mid-year session of the Board of Directors of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) held in Lagos, where maritime stakeholders raised concerns over the region’s inability to fully accommodate modern shipping demands due to ageing infrastructure and limited port capacity.
Industry leaders at the meeting stressed that many ports in the sub-region remain too shallow or technologically outdated to efficiently handle the latest generation of cargo vessels, creating bottlenecks that reduce trade efficiency and increase operational costs.
There were also strong calls for improved financial governance, harmonised tariff systems across ports and better statistical frameworks to support planning, transparency and investment decisions.
President of PMAWCA and Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, said countries within the region must significantly increase investment in modern maritime infrastructure, deep-sea ports and digital technologies if Africa hopes to compete with leading global shipping hubs.
According to Dantsoho, rehabilitation projects currently ongoing at ports such as Apapa and Tin Can Island in Nigeria, Tema Port in Ghana, Cotonou Port in Benin Republic and Dakar Port in Senegal are important short- and medium-term interventions, but they are not enough to meet future global maritime demands.
He argued that long-term competitiveness would depend heavily on the development of large-scale deep-sea ports capable of handling larger vessels and increased cargo volumes.
Dantsoho pointed to the proposed $20 billion Guinea-Conakry deep seaport project as a clear example of the scale of investment required for African ports to compete internationally.
He noted that although Nigeria’s Lekki Deep Sea Port represents a significant milestone for the region, the facility currently operates only two berths, far below the scale being developed in major Asian maritime hubs.
According to him, some African ports are now handling vessels carrying up to 18,000 containers, while advanced global hubs such as Singapore are building facilities designed for as many as 600 berths and vessels capable of transporting 24,000 containers.
The PMAWCA president warned that the global maritime industry is rapidly evolving and increasingly dependent on deeper ports, automated systems and advanced technologies.
He stressed that ports in West and Central Africa must embrace automation, artificial intelligence, robotics and integrated data systems to improve cargo handling efficiency, increase revenue generation and reduce operational delays.
Dantsoho further cautioned that failure to modernise port infrastructure aggressively could leave Africa at a disadvantage in global shipping and trade, especially as international shipping lines continue deploying larger vessels that require more sophisticated facilities.
During the meeting, the President of Finance, Economy and Studies at the Port of Douala in Cameroon, Babagnack Missi, presented findings from studies commissioned by PMAWCA Secretary General Jean-Marie Koffi on financial contributions, tariff structures and institutional reforms within the association.
Missi explained that the committee conducted a detailed financial analysis aimed at evaluating the implementation of resolutions relating to port construction financing, contribution systems and financial management processes across member states.
According to him, the committee examined the financial contributions made by member ports and carried out comparative studies to determine how the current contribution framework affects the financial sustainability of the association.
The committee also recommended greater reliance on statistical data when determining future financial contributions from member ports, while simultaneously reviewing administrative, budgeting, accounting and asset management procedures.
Missi emphasised the need for PMAWCA to gradually transition from a traditional cash-based budgeting system to a more performance-driven financial management structure capable of improving accountability and operational efficiency.
He also called for stronger human resource development within the PMAWCA Secretariat to ensure the successful implementation of ongoing institutional reforms.
Also speaking at the session, President of the Statistics Network at the Dakar Port Authority in Senegal, Cira Fall, said the network had made major progress in strengthening the use of port statistics as a strategic decision-making tool across West and Central Africa.
Fall disclosed that since the network’s inaugural meeting, more than 220 pages of PMAWCA statistical templates and technical concepts had undergone extensive review and analysis.
According to him, the exercise was aimed at reducing inconsistencies in data interpretation among member ports and improving the comparability, reliability and standardisation of maritime statistics across the sub-region.
Stakeholders at the meeting agreed that stronger regional cooperation, harmonised systems and sustained infrastructure investments would be critical if West and Central Africa hopes to emerge as a competitive maritime corridor in global trade.