By Obiabin Onukwugha
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has called on African ports to embrace digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, so as to improve efficiency and strengthen their competitiveness.
Dantsoho made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 African Ports Conference (COPAF2026), held in Casablanca, Morocco, under the theme, “Smart African Port: Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity for Performance”, on Wednesday.
Dantsoho said African ports should measure the success of smart port systems by their ability to improve operations rather than the amount of money spent on technology. He said the performance of a smart port should be assessed through faster vessel turnaround, shorter cargo dwell times, reduced operating costs, reliable systems and proper revenue accounting.
Dantsoho stressed that investing in modern technology alone would not guarantee better port operations without effective systems and processes.
Drawing from Nigeria’s experience, the NPA MD/CEO highlighted some digital initiatives introduced by the NPA, including the Eto truck call-up system, the National Single Window and the Port Community System. He said these initiatives had contributed to improved port operations, with Nigeria recording a 24.8 per cent increase in cargo throughput in 2025.
Dantsoho also pointed to the strong rankings achieved by Tin Can Island and Apapa ports in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index, describing them as evidence of the benefits of ongoing efforts to improve efficiency.
He explained that African ports needed to establish reliable digital systems before introducing advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
According to him, artificial intelligence could help improve vessel planning, coordinate activities on the landside of ports, strengthen revenue assurance, improve security and support predictive maintenance of port equipment.
Dantsoho noted that these technologies could help port authorities identify potential problems early, reduce delays and make better operational decisions.
He also highlighted the importance of digitalisation in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to modernise its ports, particularly the $1 billion port modernisation programme covering facilities in Lagos.
He said the adoption of smart technologies would be more effective when supported by strong digital infrastructure, reliable data and efficient operational processes.
The participants examined opportunities and challenges associated with adopting smart port technologies, with particular attention to improving efficiency, strengthening cybersecurity and making African ports more competitive.
