The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, will formally declare open the Board of Directors meeting of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa as the Nigerian Ports Authority hosts maritime leaders from across the sub-region in Lagos.
The high-level three-day meeting, scheduled to hold from May 18 to 20, 2026, is expected to convene chief executives, port administrators and key maritime stakeholders from West and Central Africa to chart new pathways for port efficiency, regional integration and sustainable maritime growth.
Themed “Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development,” the gathering will focus on strengthening port infrastructure, deepening logistics resilience, promoting stronger regional cooperation and ensuring that the economic benefits of port expansion positively impact surrounding communities.
Ahead of the meeting, Managing Director of the NPA and President of PMAWCA, Abubakar Dantsoho, described the gathering as a strategic forum for shaping the future trajectory of ports within the West and Central African maritime corridor.
Dantsoho, the first Nigerian to serve as President of PMAWCA, said the meeting provides an important opportunity for maritime leaders and industry stakeholders to reaffirm the strategic significance of ports in driving trade, economic prosperity and regional development.
According to him, ports remain critical gateways to economic advancement, connecting nations to global markets while serving as engines of trade facilitation, regional integration and sustainable economic progress.
“The meeting affords us all, as Chief Executives and stakeholders, the platform to reiterate the pivotal role that ports play in shaping the future of humanity,” he stated.
He further noted that with ports functioning as gateways to prosperity and linking nations to the global economy, their contribution to advancing sustainable development objectives across the region remains indispensable.
Dantsoho stressed that the resilience, operational efficiency and sustainability of ports—particularly within West and Central Africa—are increasingly central to the stability of global supply chains and broader economic growth.
He assured delegates of a productive and enabling environment for robust engagements capable of generating innovative ideas, practical recommendations and policy frameworks aimed at strengthening maritime collaboration and regional integration.
The meeting is also expected to feature extensive deliberations on port security, infrastructure modernisation, trade connectivity and emerging strategies for building resilient, future-ready ports capable of responding to evolving global economic and maritime realities.
Nigeria’s hosting of the meeting is widely seen as reinforcing the country’s growing influence in the regional maritime space, coming on the heels of its successful hosting of the 43rd PMAWCA Annual Council and Managing Directors’ Roundtable in 2023.
Participants are also expected to review PMAWCA’s midterm committee activities and explore broader strategies for enhancing institutional cooperation and advancing shared development priorities among member ports across the sub-region.
