By Samuel Akpan
Nigeria has renewed its drive to become the premier maritime hub for West and Central Africa as the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) opened its Mid-Year Session in Lagos on Monday.
Persecondnews correspondent covering the event reports that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, flagged off the meeting at
the Eko Convention Centre by highlighting port expansion and digitalization as the nation’s key priorities.
The minister emphasized that the federal government remains fully committed to modernizing port infrastructure to significantly boost Nigeria’s regional competitiveness.
“In Nigeria the blue economy is a key pillar of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which is firm on improving and digitalizing of all port in the country,” Oyetola said.
Welcoming members, PMAWCA Board President and NPA Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, labeled the gathering the most important assembly of maritime practitioners in the region.
He said the focus must be on unlocking the full potential of regional ports after years of underperformance.
“After a prolonged hibernation port in West and Central Africa are gradually gaining global recognition. We must make the best of this session to provide a pathway towards sustainability and infrastructural development of port,” Dantsoho said.
Dantsoho stated that The Blue & Green Port Network, is fresh regional platform that unites public and private stakeholders to drive the environmental transition of ports and the maritime sector across West and Central Africa, with a strong emphasis on sustainable partnerships and operations.
He added that technical backing from the West Africa Sustainable Ocean Programme (WASOP), an EU-funded initiative (€59 million under the Global Gateway and Team Europe approach) is focused on coordinated ocean governance, sustainable blue economy development, and protection of marine and coastal ecosystems.
The network builds on PMAWCA’s existing work, including the Sustainable Ports Partnership for Coastal Resilience (SPP) under the World Bank’s WACA programme.
It encourages member ports (spanning 24 regular members from Mauritania to Angola) to adopt performance benchmarking, knowledge-sharing, and collaborative projects that combine logistical resilience with environmental and community benefits.
Speaking at the occasion, Africa’s richest man and Dangote Group Chairman Aliko Dangote praised the Nigerian Ports Authority for accelerating modernization efforts.
He urged private sector players to step up investment to strengthen ports across the sub-region.
“I am confident that the NPA is set for global dominance, hence why a I am calling on entrepreneurs and private sector to invest in port to expand and improve infrastructure across port in West and Central Africa,” Dangote said.
Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the session marked a turning point for the region.
“Lagos is a city that has always drawn the world to its shore this session signals that Nigeria is ready to take on responsibility to strengthen the Maritime sector in this region,” he said.
Osiyemi also highlighted the significance of Nigerian leadership at PMAWCA, noting it was the first time in 54 years a Nigerian held the board presidency.
“For the first time in 54 years we have a Nigerian Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho as the President of the Board of Directors of Port Management Association of West and Central Africa.
“The challenge facing our regional port can only be surmounted with shared ideas and effort,” he said.
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