The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director and President of the Port Management Association of West & Central Africa (PMAWCA), Abubakar Dantsoho, has underscored the importance of interconnectedness and regional cooperation among African nations as key to advancing port infrastructure and trade across West and Central Africa. (Vanguard News)
Speaking at the closing ceremony of PMAWCA’s 45th Annual Council Meeting in Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo, Dantsoho affirmed that the goodwill and collaborative spirit displayed during the event signal readiness for the region’s ports to meet future challenges. (The Leader Nigeria)
“On behalf of all of us at PMAWCA… thank you immensely for lending your time and expertise to advancing the frontiers of trade and prosperity… I am persuaded that the Ports of West and Central Africa are poised to face the future with confidence.” – Dr. Dantsoho (Independent Newspaper Nigeria)
Key Takeaways for the Maritime Community
- The event highlighted that Africa’s geographic and economic connectivity demands stronger integration and cooperation among ports, governments and industry stakeholders. (Peoples Gazette Nigeria)
- Member-state ports of West and Central Africa have pledged to translate the Council’s resolutions into policy actions that strengthen logistics, trade facilitation and port-governance frameworks. (Independent Newspaper Nigeria)
- Dantsoho commended the unified participation of Directors-General and CEOs of member ports, saying their teamwork is “remarkable” and will be pivotal for implementation of agreed decisions. (Vanguard News)
- He drew on the words of industrialist Henry Ford, saying: “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” — a call for sustained collaboration beyond the event. (The Leader Nigeria)
Why This Matters for SEREC & Our Audience
For SEREC, this emphasises:
- The imperative for capacity-building, technical cooperation and policy alignment in the maritime sector.
- The role of regional frameworks like PMAWCA in driving port modernization, digitalization and trade facilitation that directly support the blue-economy agenda across Africa.
- The opportunity for our network of maritime professionals, ship-agents, freight forwarders and port-operators to engage beyond national borders, leveraging shared knowledge, resources and strategies for collective growth.
SEREC’s Action Agenda
To support this regional momentum, SEREC commits to:
- Publishing a follow-up briefing that outlines how ports in West & Central Africa can operationalise PMAWCA’s resolutions.
- Hosting a virtual roundtable for stakeholders to exchange best practices in port digitalisation and intra-African shipping corridors.
- Tracking implementation progress of PMAWCA-member port commitments and providing quarterly reports for our stakeholder community.
Source: Adapted from Vanguard News (November 9, 2025)
Rewritten and published by the Sea Empowerment & Research Centre (SEREC)