IAPH: Dantsoho Charts Bold Course for African Port Transformation

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

Against the backdrop of his inauguration as Vice President (Africa) of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has outlined his key priorities for advancing port development across the continent.

Speaking after his inauguration at the recently concluded World Ports Conference, themed “Reinvention and Prosperity in Turbulent Times”, held in Kobe City, Japan, Dantsoho said his focus will be on effective policy implementation, enhanced collaboration, strengthened cooperation, and improved trade facilitation within Africa’s port sector.

Pundits say that despite that African ports play a critical role in global trade, the continent face challenges such as infrastructure deficits, policy inconsistency, and limited technological adoption. On this note, the NPA MD said unified action among African port authorities and stakeholders to address challenges facing African ports would be central to his leadership agenda at the IAPH.

According to him, his administration, through the deployment of port innovativeness will capture tangible, sustainable investment returns in high-risk environments.

“This responsibility has fired up my resolve more than ever before to be the vanguard of galvanising national and regional policy action steps geared towards institutionalising ports’ eco-friendliness in line with the dictates of IAPH’s World Ports Sustainability Program.

“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.”

The NPA boss further stated that he will champion full automation of African ports to eliminate trade barriers. “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 ports’ efficiency and sustainability, I intend to infuse greater action behind the necessity of full automation of African Ports as the most veritable tool for elimination of barriers to trade”, he declared.