News in brief:
– The AfDB concluded a workshop on improving African ports efficiency by creating a web-based tool to collect and share port data to improve planning and boost trade.
– This project aims to improve data collection and connectivity among African ports, ultimately making them more efficient and boosting African trade.
Details have emerged from the African Development Bank (AfDB) workshop on improving ports’ efficiency on the continent. Stakeholders, experts and representatives from organisations like the African Union Commission, regional economic communities, port authorities, port management and maritime associations, and so on were present at the event.
The theme was on the implementation of the African Ports Connectivity Portal Project (APC-PP) to improve data collection and connectivity among ports. It has attracted a grant of $2 million from the Beijing-based Multilateral Co-operation Center for Development Finance (MCDF), according to the AfDB report.
With the funding, the coalition plans to create a comprehensive port data book that offers performance data for Africa’s ports and maritime transport sector, as well as practical information on the continent’s leading ports.
There will also be a development of a secure web-based tool for collecting, storing, and retrieving port data in Africa.
Port inefficiencies spur innovation
The AfDB mentioned that the inefficiences that have plagued operations in ports around Africa was the reason behind the initiative. With these inefficiencies, logistics cost more and economic growth are slower.
Consider that Nigeria’s agricultural goods exports to other African nations in the fourth quarter of 2024 was about ₦8.8 billion. Increasing port efficiencies will likely boost exports within this economic regions.
Problems afflicting these ports include underinvestment and poor performance data which should inform better planning and management.
The APC-PP will digitise and integrate data collection to improve ‘port development planning, policy dialogue, and regional infrastructure strategies’.
During the workshop, the delegates discussed components of the project like technical support, design and implementation, and governance.
Some of the conclusions and recommendations were that there is a need for collaborations between supranational organisations such as the African Union Commission, African governments, regional organisations, port management associations, port authorities, and the private sector.
Ports play a major role in Africa’s trade and competitiveness in the global market
In 2024, nearly all Nigeria’s commodity exports were carried out via sea ports with air and other means of transport responsoble for less than 1%.
The same can be said for the rest of Africa, which further emphasises the need to make these ports more efficient. In a statement, Jean Marie Koffi, Secretary General of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), pointed to the role of conectivity between ports.
“Improved connectivity between our ports is essential for enhancing efficiency, reducing logistics costs, and strengthening Africa’s competitiveness in the global market,” he said.
The AfDB tool is expected to optimise port operations when it launches. It will also improve security and transparency, and promote sustainable development, as Marco Yamaguchi, Division Manager, Transport and Logistics at the African Development Bank, assured.
There is another workshop meeting on the project that is slated for early August, where experts will conclude on the project’s implementation instruments. Meanwhile, they will be working on a web-based port data portal, an Africa Port Index, and a port data book.
