Vice President IAPH set agenda for African ports growth

By reporter

Lagos, Oct 9, 2025, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has outlined his key priorities for advancing port development across the African continent.

Dantsoho, in a statement by Mr Okechukwu Onyemekara, General Manager, Corporate Communications and Strategy, NPA, on Thursday in Lagos, was quoted to have said this during his inauguration at the just-concluded World Ports Conference in Kobe City, Japan.

The conference has the theme “Reinvention and Prosperity in Turbulent Times”.

Dantsoho, also the Vice President (Africa) of International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), said his focus would be on effective policy implementation, enhanced collaboration, strengthened cooperation, and improved trade facilitation within Africa’s port sector.

He acknowledged the critical roles played by African ports in global trade but noted that the sector still faces challenges such as infrastructure deficits, policy inconsistencies, and limited technological adoption.

The NPA boss said unified action among African port authorities to address these challenges would be at the centre of his leadership agenda at the IAPH.

According to him, his administration would deploy port innovation to attract tangible and sustainable investment returns, even in high-risk environments.

“This responsibility has fired up my resolve more than ever before to be at the vanguard of galvanising national and regional policy action geared toward institutionalising port eco-friendliness.

“This is in line with the dictates of IAPH’s World Ports Sustainability Programme.

“Reinvention and prosperity in turbulent times through the deployment of port innovativeness to capture tangible, sustainable investment returns in high-risk environments is a global exigency that the world can most efficiently surmount if IAPH members speak with one voice through renewed collaboration and cooperation,” he said

Dantsoho further stated that he would champion the full automation of African ports as a means to eliminate trade barriers.

He added, “I intend to deploy my current role as President of the Pan-African Association for Port Cooperation (PAPC) to more intentionally promote collaboration and cooperation.

“Cognisant of the catalytic role of automation as the linchpin of port efficiency and sustainability, I intend to drive greater action toward achieving full automation of African ports as the most veritable tool for eliminating barriers to trade.