Maritime Leaders to Converge in Lagos as NPA Hosts PMAWCA Board Meeting on Regional Port Development

ZAINAB JUNAID

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Honourable Adegboyega Oyetola is to declare open a three-day Board of Directors meeting of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) prepares to host top maritime leaders and port administrators from across the sub-region in Lagos from 18 to 20 May 2026.

The high-level gathering, themed “Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development,” will bring together port chiefs and maritime stakeholders to deliberate on infrastructure development, regional collaboration, logistics resilience, and how port growth can deliver measurable socio-economic benefits to host communities.

Ahead of the meeting, NPA Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, the first Nigerian to serve as PMAWCA President and chief host of the gathering, described the event as a critical platform for shaping the direction of ports across the sub-region.

“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.

Dantsoho posited that ports remain gateway to prosperity linking nations to international markets, while serving as engines of economic integration and sustainable growth.

“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 said.

He further stressed that the sustainability of the global economy is closely tied to the resilience and efficiency of ports, particularly those in the West and Central African region.

The NPA boss assured participants of a conducive atmosphere for meaningful engagements capable of producing ideas and policy directions that will strengthen maritime cooperation and regional development.

The agenda will span port security, trade connectivity, infrastructure development, and emerging strategies for building future-ready ports amid shifting global demands.

Participants will also review PMAWCA midterm committee activities and advance broader discussions on deepening collaboration among members Ports.

The Lagos meeting reinforces Nigeria’s growing stature in regional maritime governance, following the country’s successful hosting of the 43rd PMAWCA Annual Council and Managing Directors’ Roundtable in 2023.