By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has warned that rising cyberattacks pose a growing threat to African ports and international trade, calling for stronger cybersecurity measures and regional cooperation to protect critical maritime infrastructure.
Dantsoho, who is also President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), gave the warning at the African Ports Conference in Casablanca, Morocco, where he said the growing digitalisation of port operations must be matched by adequate safeguards against cyber threats.
He warned that the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and interconnected digital platforms could expose ports to disruptions affecting cargo movement, revenue collection and the reliability of maritime supply chains.
According to him, cyberattacks on port infrastructure have evolved beyond conventional information technology concerns to become a serious threat to international commerce.
“In July 2021, a cyberattack on Transnet forced South Africa’s container terminals to declare force majeure. In 2023, cyber incidents disrupted the Port of Nagoya and DP World terminals across Australia for days. These were not merely IT problems. They were interruptions to trade,” he said.
The NPA managing director cautioned that digital platforms designed to improve efficiency could become vulnerabilities if port authorities failed to implement effective security measures and contingency plans.
“A single window must not become a single point of failure,” he said.
Nigeria has stepped up its port digitalisation efforts through the National Single Window and a beta version of the Port Community System, initiatives designed to improve coordination among Customs, terminal operators, shipping lines and regulatory agencies.
However, Dantsoho said the success of these initiatives would depend on the ability of port authorities and their partners to secure digital infrastructure against attacks while ensuring operational continuity during disruptions.
He outlined five measures for strengthening cybersecurity at Nigerian ports: integrating cyber protection into port security arrangements, separating operational technology from administrative networks, enforcing security standards for connected partners, regularly testing recovery systems and training personnel to identify and report threats.
He also called for cybersecurity to be treated with the same seriousness as physical security, in line with relevant International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) requirements and International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards.
“Treat cybersecurity as part of port security, alongside physical security and relevant ISPS and IMO requirements,” he said.
Dantsoho stressed that having written recovery plans was insufficient without regular testing to establish whether they would work under actual operating conditions.
“A recovery plan is not proven because it exists. It is proven because it works,” he said.
He added that port employees must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to recognise suspicious activities, report threats and respond appropriately to security incidents.
Beyond cybersecurity, Dantsoho said AI offered significant opportunities to address longstanding operational challenges in African ports, including vessel waiting times, cargo delays, inefficient truck movements, revenue leakages and unexpected equipment failures.
He argued that smart-port initiatives should be assessed by their impact on operational performance rather than the volume of technology acquired.
“A smart African port is not defined by how much technology it buys. It is defined by the performance it delivers. How quickly are vessels served? How long does cargo remain? What does it cost to move a container? Are systems reliable, and is revenue properly accounted for?
“These are the measures that give meaning to innovation,” he said.
According to him, AI could improve vessel arrival forecasts, berth planning and pilotage scheduling, reducing uncertainty and waiting times.
Integrating truck appointments with yard capacity and vessel schedules could also improve coordination among port gates, storage yards and quays, thereby reducing congestion.
On revenue assurance, Dantsoho said AI could compare cargo declarations with actual cargo movements and applicable charges to identify discrepancies for further investigation without unnecessarily obstructing legitimate trade.
He added that the technology could support targeted cargo-risk assessments, detect unusual vessel behaviour and enable predictive maintenance by identifying equipment deterioration before failures disrupt operations.
However, he cautioned against adopting technology without clearly defined objectives, measurable targets and clear accountability.
“But every project needs discipline: a defined problem, a measurable target and an accountable owner.
“Prove the application before expanding it. And bring our people with us—pilots, engineers, crane operators, planners and revenue officers, with unions and operators engaged.
“The objective is not to replace professional judgement, but to strengthen it,” he said.
Port reforms and performance
Highlighting Nigeria’s port reforms, Dantsoho said the NPA had prioritised addressing fundamental operational challenges while laying the groundwork for more advanced digital solutions.
He recalled that cargo previously remained at Lagos ports for as long as three weeks, while the Apapa access road, designed to accommodate approximately 2,400 trucks daily, carried more than 7,000 trucks.
The resulting congestion increased delays, undermined reliability and diverted trade, underscoring the need for coordinated improvements to port infrastructure, transport corridors and digital systems.
According to him, the Eto electronic truck call-up system helped address congestion along the port access corridor, while the National Single Window and the beta version of the Port Community System represented further progress in digital coordination.
“The Eto electronic truck call-up system helped address corridor gridlock. This year, we went live with the National Single Window and a beta version of the Port Community System, advancing digital coordination among Customs, terminals, shipping lines and regulators,” he said.
Dantsoho also cited improvements in Nigeria’s port performance, saying Tin Can Island Port ranked 10th and Apapa Port 12th among the world’s most improved ports in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index 2025, released in June 2026.
He added that Nigeria’s cargo throughput rose by 24.8 per cent to 129.3 million metric tonnes in 2025.
The NPA is also implementing a $1 billion modernisation programme for Apapa and Tin Can Island ports. Dantsoho said the programme presented an opportunity to incorporate intelligent maintenance systems and secure digital infrastructure into the renewal process.
He stressed that cybersecurity must be integrated into infrastructure projects from the design stage rather than introduced after systems had been deployed.
“Our work is not complete. But the lesson is clear: digitalisation creates the information base; AI helps turn information into better decisions. We must build in that order,” he said.
The NPA oversees seven ports across Nigeria, from Lagos to Calabar, with varying infrastructure, cargo profiles and levels of digital maturity. Dantsoho said this diversity made it necessary to develop solutions tailored to the operational realities of individual ports.
Calls for regional cooperation
Dantsoho warned that African ports could not effectively tackle cyber threats and operational inefficiencies through isolated national efforts, given the interconnected nature of maritime trade routes, shipping schedules and cargo corridors.
Using the Abidjan–Lagos corridor as an example, he explained that delays at one port could affect subsequent vessel calls, while cargo destined for landlocked countries such as Niger, Chad and Mali depended on effective connections between ports, transport corridors and borders.
“Along the Abidjan–Lagos corridor, a delayed vessel can affect its next call. Cargo destined for Niger, Chad or Mali depends on effective links between ports, corridors and borders.
“If we modernise in isolation, we risk replacing paper-based fragmentation with digital fragmentation,” he said.
As PMAWCA president, he proposed four priorities for regional cooperation: sharing cyber threat intelligence; developing common data standards; benchmarking port performance and strengthening professional training; and engaging technology suppliers and development partners to establish common requirements for cybersecurity, interoperability, skills transfer and data sovereignty.
He disclosed that the NPA had developed a port performance benchmarking framework in collaboration with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and expressed the authority’s readiness to share its experience with other African ports.
Dantsoho also proposed establishing a PMAWCA working group on artificial intelligence and data governance, with cybersecurity and digital resilience included in its mandate.
He urged each member port to identify one high-impact AI pilot project backed by a baseline assessment, an accountable implementation team and measurable performance targets.
“I invite each member port to identify one high-impact AI pilot, with a baseline, an accountable team and a measurable target.
“Start with the problem, not the product,” he said.
He said progress on the proposed initiatives should be reported at PMAWCA’s next Annual Council in Sipopo, Malabo, adding that the NPA was prepared to share both the successes and challenges arising from Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Dantsoho further stressed the need for clear rules governing the ownership, access, sharing and protection of port data, warning that technology contracts should promote interoperability rather than create unnecessary dependence on individual suppliers.
He said African countries must be able to benefit from technological innovation while retaining control over how their data was accessed, managed and protected.
“Data sovereignty does not mean isolation. It means benefiting from innovation while retaining the capacity to govern its use,” he said.
He added that trust was essential to effective information sharing among port authorities, regulators, terminal operators and other stakeholders.
“Without trust, institutions will not share information. Without shared information, the smart port remains an incomplete promise,” he said.
Dantsoho maintained that the ultimate objective of port digitalisation across Africa should be to improve operational reliability, reduce the cost of trade, strengthen security and ensure that technology investments deliver measurable economic benefits.
“The smart African port will not be judged by its dashboards.
“It will be judged by reliable vessel calls, shorter cargo dwell times, lower costs, secure systems and revenue properly accounted for.
“AI should help us anticipate and decide. Cybersecurity should help us protect and endure. Cooperation should help us advance together. Leadership must turn all three into results,” he said.
He urged African port authorities to strengthen regional collaboration, invest in local expertise and build digital systems capable of withstanding cyber threats while delivering measurable improvements in port operations.
“The smart African port will not be imported. We will build it together,” Dantsoho said.