Headlines

PMAWCA 2026 – Beyond Lagos rhetoric, Nigeria must lead Port evolution.

Ibrahim Nasiru

As the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) Board of Directors meeting opens in Lagos tomorrow, Monday, May 18, all eyes are on Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, and the NPA Managing Director, Abubakar Dantsoho.

While hosting this three -day high level gathering cements Nigeria’s diplomatic and geopolitical clout in the sub-region, the real test lies in translating the theme—”Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development” into actionable regional metrics.

As an analyst looking closely at the sub-regional maritime ecosystem, three critical realities must dominate the conversations beyond the official communiques:

THE URGENCY OF TRANSSHIPMENT DOMINATION:

With Dantsoho sitting uniquely as the first Nigerian President of PMAWCA, Nigeria holds the gavel to drive true regional trade integration.

However, the “Ports of the Future” cannot exist merely on paper. While Nigeria boasts massive consumer market leverage, we are in an aggressive race against regional rivals like Lome (Togo), Tema (Ghana), and Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) for transshipment supremacy.

PMAWCA must move past administrative reviews and establish unified, automated transshipment protocols that reduce dwell times across West and Central African corridors.

MOVING FROM PORT EFFICIENCY TO COMMUNITY INCLUSION:

The inclusion of “Community Development” in this year’s theme touches on a historic pain point. For decades, Port host communities across West Africa most notably Apapa and Tin Can in Lagos have borne the brunt of logistical friction, gridlock, and environmental degradation without direct socio-economic cushions.

If Ports are truly the “gateways to prosperity,” the policy directions forged in this meeting must mandate a fixed percentage of port-generated revenue to be directly reinvested into local infrastructural resilience and Green Port Initiatives (GPI)

THE DIGITAL INTEGRATION LITMUS TEST:
You cannot build a resilient, future ready Port with manual paperwork and fragmented customs processes.

For the West and Central African sub-region to survive evolving global supply chain shocks, this board meeting must lay a concrete timeline for a unified Regional Port Single Window system.

True maritime cooperation means a vessel moving from Luanda to Lagos or Abidjan should encounter standardized digital clearance architectures.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Nigeria’s successful hosting of the 43rd PMAWCA Council in 2023 proved we can organize.

The 2026 Board Meeting must prove we can execute. Minister Oyetola and MD Dantsoho have a golden opportunity to steer PMAWCA from a deliberative association into a fierce economic bloc.

The sustainability of the sub-regional economy depends entirely on how quickly we move from standard roundtable rhetoric to aggressive, Modern Port Execution.

While awaiting the outcome of this historic meeting, I wish the Minister a successful outing.

Ibrahim Nasiru is a public affairs analyst and he writes from Abuja

Headlines

NPA hosts PMAWCA board meeting in Lagos

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is set to host the Board of Directors meeting of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) in Lagos between May 18th to 20th, 2026.

The thematic focus of the meeting will be on building “Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development”.

According to the Chief host and the Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Danthoso, who is also the first Nigerian President of the regional body, the meeting will afford all the chief Executives of the regional ports and all the stakeholders the platform to re- emphasize the crucial role that the ports play in shaping the future of humanity.

“The meeting affords us all as the Chief Executives and Stakeholders the platform to reiterate the pivotal role that ports play in shaping the future of humanity”

” With ports being the gateways of prosperity that link nations to international communities and demonstrated leadership of ports in contributing to the sustainable development goals.

” It is evident that the sustainability of the world rests heavily on the sustainability of ports, especially Ports of the West and Central African region” the NPA High Chief declared.

Danthoso assured the participants of an enabling atmosphere for the exchange of ideas necessary for actualizing ” our shared aspirations to the benefits of our respective nations and ultimately, for the advancement of humanity”

The conference focuses on enhancing regional maritime cooperation, specifically targeting “Ports of the Future” by combining infrastructure resilience with community development.

This meeting serves as a key gathering of maritime leaders to discuss port security, infrastructure development, and enhancing regional trade connectivity.

This follows Nigeria’s successful hosting of the 43rd Annual Council and Managing Director’s Roundtable in November 2023.

This meeting highlights the NPA’s commitment to creating a sustainable, efficient maritime environment and leading regional ports.

The sessions will include a review of individual midterm PMAWCA committees.

Headlines

Tantita gifts military 15 gun boats to enhance security surveillance on Nigeria’s waters

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter

In a bid to further decapitate the capacity of pirates and armed robbers at sea, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, has donated 15 sophisticated and high- caliber gun boats to Nigerian Armed Forces.

Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited is a private security company headquartered in Effurun, Delta State, specializing in protecting Nigeria’s vital oil and gas infrastructure through pipeline protection, paramilitary escort, and advanced surveillance operations.

The commissioning ceremony took place at the Nigerian Navy Boatyard in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, May 14th, 2026.

The company handed over seven gun boats to the Nigeria Army while the Nigeria Navy got eight gun boats.

The vessels are expected to enhance joint operations against oil theft, piracy, and other maritime crimes in the Niger Delta and coastal waters.

The event featured military officials, representatives of Tantita Security Services, and dignitaries from Rivers State government.

The commissioning underscored the importance of public-private collaboration in safeguarding Nigeria’s waterways.

Officials emphasized that the deployment of these gun boats will strengthen surveillance, rapid response, and deterrence against criminal activities threatening national economic assets.

Nigeria’s maritime domain has long been vulnerable to illegal bunkering, smuggling, and piracy.

By equipping both the Army and Navy with modern gun boats, Tantita Security Services aims to reinforce the military’s operational readiness and ensure safer navigation for commercial and civilian vessels.

Headlines

APMT pledges fresh $600m investment to boost terminal operations at Apapa port.

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The APM Terminals has pledged a fresh investment portfolio of $600m to shore up its terminal operations at the Apapa Port.

The Dutch company operates the largest container terminals in the West African sub- regional at Apapa port.

The Regional President, APM Terminals Africa-Europe, Igor van den Essen, disclosed this when he led other executives, including Head of Investments, APM Terminals, Martijn Van Dongen, and CEO, APM Terminals Nigeria, Frederik Klinke, to meet with President Tinubu on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

Igor van den Essen said the proposed investments will be deployed in Apapa port modernisation, logistics infrastructure, and long-term private-sector investment in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

President Tinubu welcomed the investments, emphasising that Nigeria is repositioning itself for greater competitiveness through ongoing economic reforms and infrastructure modernisation.

He said the country is determined to move beyond structural bottlenecks and outdated systems, stressing the need for advanced technology, faster cargo processing, and improved operational efficiency across the nation’s ports.

He emphasised that Nigeria possesses the market scale, talent base, and economic potential to support globally competitive maritime and logistics infrastructure investments and called on other investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s reform outcomes.

Earlier, Igor van den Essen lauded President Tinubu’s reform agenda and policy direction, which had strengthened investor confidence and created renewed momentum for long-term infrastructure investments.

He described Nigeria as a strategic stronghold within its African operations, referencing over 20 years of collaboration and substantial existing investments in the country’s port ecosystem.

He reaffirmed his company’s commitment to expanding investments in Nigeria and disclosed plans to support the development of world-class terminal infrastructure and technology-driven port operations.

He also commended President Tinubu for establishing the National Single Window (NSW), which has streamlined trade procedures, improved Customs coordination, and reduced delays in cargo clearance.

In another meeting with Winme Group executives, President Bola Tinubu called for deeper investment partnerships to unlock Nigeria’s opportunities in logistics, mining, shipping, and integrated infrastructure development.

He stressed the need for integrated investments linking ports, transport systems, processing facilities, and export infrastructure to drive industrial growth and competitiveness.

The delegation expressed confidence in Nigeria’s long-term investment potential, having closely followed President Tinubu’s reforms.