Africa doesn't need more ports: Here is what it needs

Guardian Nigeria

Is building more seaports the true solution for Africa's maritime growth? While a call for new ports echoes across West and Central Africa, a critical question emerges: does the continent truly need more infrastructure, or does it require greater efficiency at its existing ports?   Nigeria, for instance, boasts several major seaports, yet the process of clearing a container can stretch to an astonishing 21 days. This delay is a direct consequence of deep-seated inefficiencies plaguing the ports.   Multiple regulatory agencies create bottlenecks, while extortion by various actors along port corridors adds significant costs and frustration. High handling and clearing charges further burden trade, compounded by a sluggish adoption of digitalization and port modernization. Pervasive issues with port infrastructure also play a detrimental role.   Industry data reveals that these inefficiencies are costing Nigeria trillions of Naira. It's time to shift the focus from quantity to quality, asking if investing in making existing ports work better is the key to unlocking Africa's true maritime potential.   #AfricanPorts #PortEfficiency #MaritimeTrade

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00:00the managing director of the nigerian ports authority who is also the president of the

00:03port management association of west and central africa called the member countries to build more

00:08new seaports but in actual sense does africa need more new seaports or efficient ports nigeria alone

00:16has several major seaports and to clear a container from one of these ports it takes at least 21 days

00:22to get your goods out of the ports and this is because of the inefficiencies at the ports the

00:28button is created by the multiple regulatory agencies the extortion by the state and non-state

00:33actors at the ports corridors the high handling charges the high clearing charges the slow

00:39adoption of digitalization the slow adoption of port modernization the poor port infrastructure

00:44according to industry data nigeria is losing trillions of naya to these inefficiencies at the

00:50ports and now let's go back to the resolution reached at this conference does africa actually

00:57need more new ports or efficient ports

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