The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, is set to declare open the Board of Directors meeting of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa in Lagos.
The three-day high-level gathering, scheduled for May 18 to 20, 2026, is being hosted by the Nigerian Ports Authority and will bring together leading maritime executives and port administrators from across West and Central Africa to deliberate on the future of ports and regional maritime development.
The meeting, themed “Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development,” will focus on strengthening port infrastructure, building resilient logistics systems, deepening regional collaboration, and ensuring that port expansion delivers meaningful socio-economic benefits to host communities.
Ahead of the event, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority and President of PMAWCA, Abubakar Dantsoho, described the gathering as a strategic platform for shaping the future of ports within the sub-region.
According to Dantsoho, the meeting presents an opportunity for maritime leaders and stakeholders to reaffirm the critical role ports play in driving global trade and economic growth.
“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 said.
He noted that ports remain gateways to prosperity, linking nations to international markets while serving as engines of economic integration and sustainable development.
“With ports serving as gateways of prosperity and linking nations to the international community, their demonstrated leadership in advancing sustainable development goals cannot be overemphasized,” he added.
Dantsoho further stressed that the sustainability of the global economy is closely tied to the resilience and efficiency of ports, particularly those within the West and Central African region.
He assured participants of a conducive environment for productive engagements capable of generating ideas and policy directions that would strengthen maritime cooperation and regional development.
The meeting is expected to feature discussions on port security, infrastructure development, trade connectivity, and emerging strategies for building future-ready ports amid evolving global challenges.
The event also reinforces Nigeria’s growing influence in the regional maritime sector, coming on the heels of the country’s successful hosting of the 43rd PMAWCA Annual Council and Managing Directors’ Roundtable in 2023.
Deliberations during the meeting will also include reviews of PMAWCA midterm committee activities and broader discussions aimed at advancing collaboration among member ports.
