West, Central Africa targeting global shipping hub with $27bn investments –Dantsoho

The push to remake West and Central Africa into a dominant global maritime corridor gathered pace in Lagos this week, as the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Abubakar Dantsoho, revealed that more than $27 billion in strategic port infrastructure and sustainability projects are underway across the sub-region.

Dantsoho, who doubles as the President of the Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa, made the disclosure at the opening of a Board Committee meeting, where he said the region’s ports are finally commanding global investor attention after years of sluggish growth.

Addressing delegates from Senegal, The Gambia, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Ghana, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, he described the current wave of investments as a turning point for the region’s economic trajectory.

According to him, the scale and spread of ongoing projects signal a deliberate shift to position African ports as competitive global trade hubs, capable of handling larger cargo volumes, improving turnaround times and driving industrialisation.

Among the flagship developments cited were the $20 billion Simandou-Morebaya Deep Sea Port project in Guinea, the $2 billion Port San Pedro expansion 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.

He added that Nigeria is also upgrading its legacy infrastructure, with major modernisation plans at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, alongside a $600 million investment in APM Terminals Apapa, moves expected to ease congestion and boost efficiency at the country’s busiest maritime gateways.

Beyond infrastructure, Dantsoho said the region is redefining the role of ports within a broader blue economy strategy, expanding into areas such as sustainable fisheries, renewable marine energy, aquaculture, marine biotechnology and coastal tourism.

“We are determined to keep in tune with global trends. Our ports can no longer be viewed solely as gateways for cargo movement,” he declared.

He further disclosed that PMAWCA is advancing environmental sustainability through the West African Sustainable Ocean Programme (WASOP), a €59 million European Union-backed initiative spanning 13 countries between 2024 and 2029.

With capital inflows rising and policy alignment strengthening, stakeholders say the region is edging closer to becoming a major maritime force, one capable of competing with established global shipping corridors while unlocking new economic frontiers for Africa.