Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has been elected as the Vice-President for Africa of the International Association for Ports & Harbours (IAPH).
This achievement marks a significant step forward for Nigeria’s standing in the global maritime community.
In a statement, NPA spokesperson Ikechukwu Onyemekara confirmed Dantsoho’s victory in the recent election held in Tokyo, Japan.
IAPH Secretary-General Masahiko Furuichi expressed his pleasure, stating, “I am delighted to work together with you IAPH for the years to come.”
This election follows Dantsoho’s earlier success as the first Nigerian to become President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) since its founding in 1972.
His continued efforts have been instrumental in restoring Nigeria’s influence in international maritime affairs.
About IAPH
IAPH is a non-governmental organization (NGO) headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. In November 1955, some 100 world port leaders gathered in Los Angeles to announce the creation of IAPH.
Over the past six decades, IAPH has developed into a global alliance of ports, representing today some 190 ports and 167 port-related businesses in 89 countries as of 6 December 2024.
The member ports together handle well over 60% of the world’s sea-borne trade and over 60% of the world container traffic.
IAPH aims to be the global trade association of choice for port authorities and operators, representing their interests at regulatory level at the International Maritime Organization, the World Customs Organization, the International Standards Organization and other global alliances such as the Global Maritime Forum and the World Economic Forum.
IAPH has consultative status and works on behalf of ports with additional United Nations bodies such as the UNCTAD (UN Conference on Trade and Development), UNEP (UN Environment Program) and the UN Global Compact.
As trade association of choice, IAPH is the industry reference for sharing best practices of the most advanced and sophisticated ports on the planet, including:
*Pioneering innovations in energy transition, decarbonization and emissions reductions at ports and in all ship-to-shore interfaces
*Leading the industry forward in collaborating with other industry partners to improve data orchestration between ports and their stakeholders, improving efficiency, creating synergies and reducing emissions by eliminating berth waiting time.
*Confronting the challenges faced by ports today and tomorrow with a future roadmap for port resilience against the crises to come
IAPH aims to improve global ports’ agility in managing risk and building resilience, offering expertise and experience in formulating business continuity strategies relevant for all ports, irrespective of size and business model.
President Tinubu’s Stratagem of Appointing a Home-Grown Chief Executive
Leveraging his decade-plus of experience, Abubakar Dantsoho has implemented strategic performance improvements at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that are directly fueling a national economic resurgence.
These operational changes have not only driven year-on-year growth in exports but have also helped Nigeria achieve a national trade surplus for the first time in a while, a feat highlighted by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in its 2024 and 2025 Foreign Trade Alerts.
The positive effects are further underscored by the Nigerian Export Processing Council (NEPC), which reported a record-breaking 19.59% increase in non-oil exports for the first half of 2025, reaching $3.225 billion.
With export volumes on NPA platforms climbing to 4.04 million metric tonnes, these successes are attracting significant regional and international recognition.
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