Oyetola to Open PMAWCA Board Meeting as NPA Hosts West and Central African Port Leaders

Oyetola

By Frontline Reporters
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is set to declare open the Board of Directors Meeting of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) hosts key maritime leaders and port administrators from across the sub-region in Lagos.
The high-level three-day meeting, scheduled for May 18 to 20, 2026, is expected to attract major stakeholders in the maritime and logistics sectors to deliberate on the future of ports and regional maritime development in West and Central Africa.
With the theme, “Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development,” discussions will focus on strengthening port infrastructure, enhancing logistics resilience, deepening regional cooperation, and ensuring that port expansion delivers meaningful socio-economic benefits to host communities.

DR. ABUBAKAR DANTSOHO
Managing Director of the NPA and President of PMAWCA, Abubakar Dantsoho, described the gathering as a strategic platform for shaping the future of ports within the sub-region, noting that maritime leaders would use the meeting to reinforce the critical role of ports in global trade and economic transformation.
“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,” Dantsoho stated.
He noted that ports remain vital gateways to prosperity, linking nations to global markets while driving economic integration, trade facilitation, and sustainable development across regions.
“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 resilience and efficiency of ports are central to the sustainability of the global economy, particularly within the West and Central African corridor where maritime trade continues to expand rapidly.
He assured delegates of a conducive environment for robust engagements capable of generating innovative ideas, practical solutions, and policy directions that would strengthen maritime cooperation and accelerate regional development.
The meeting is also expected to feature extensive deliberations on port security, infrastructure modernization, trade connectivity, digital transformation, and emerging strategies for building future-ready ports amid evolving global economic and security challenges.
Nigeria’s hosting of the meeting further underscores the country’s growing influence within the regional maritime sector, coming on the heels of the successful hosting of the 43rd PMAWCA Annual Council and Managing Directors’ Roundtable in 2023.
Deliberations during the event will also include reviews of PMAWCA’s midterm committee activities and broader discussions aimed at deepening collaboration among member ports across West and Central Africa.