The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has warned that rising cyberattacks could disrupt African ports, undermine international trade and increase the cost of doing business, calling for stronger cybersecurity and regional cooperation.
Dantsoho, who is also President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), said African countries must strengthen the protection of digital infrastructure as ports increasingly deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and interconnected systems to improve operational efficiency.
Speaking at the African Ports Conference in Casablanca, Morocco, he said cyber threats had evolved beyond conventional information technology challenges to become a major risk to maritime security and economic stability.
He cited cyber incidents involv-ing South Africa’s Transnet, Japan’s Port of Nagoya and DP World terminals in Australia as examples of how attacks on digital systems could interrupt cargo handling and 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.
Dantsoho warned that the growing interconnection of port authorities, shipping companies, terminal operators, customs agencies and other service providers could create vulnerabilities capable of affecting entire port communities.
He urged African ports to integrate cybersecurity into their broader security frameworks, separate operational technology from administrative networks, enforce security standards for connected partners and regularly test backup and recovery systems.
“AI can help a port work more intelligently, but cybersecurity protects its ability to work at all,” he said.
The NPA chief also cautioned that digital platforms introduced to simplify trade procedures could become major points of vulnerability if they lacked adequate safeguards.
“A single window must not become a single point of failure,” he said. Beyond cybersecurity, Dantsoho said AI offered significant opportunities to improve port performance by reducing vessel waiting times, cargo delays, truck congestion, revenue leakages and unexpected equipment failures.
He identified vessel arrival forecasting, berth planning, truck scheduling, cargo-risk assessment and predictive maintenance as areas where AI could help ports improve efficiency and reduce operating costs.
However, he stressed that technology adoption must be driven by clearly defined operational problems and measurable results, rather than the desire to acquire new systems.
Highlighting Nigeria’s experience, Dantsoho said the NPA had introduced the Eto electronic truck call-up system and advanced digital coordination through the National Single Window and a beta version of the Port Community System.
He recalled that the Apapa access road, designed to handle approximately 2,400 trucks daily, previously carried more than 7,000 trucks, contributing to congestion and delays around Lagos ports.
According to him, Nigeria’s cargo throughput rose by 24.8 per cent to 129.3 million metric tonnes in 2025. He also cited the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index 2025, released in June 2026, which ranked Tin Can Island Port tenth and Apapa Port twelfth among the world’s most improved ports.
The NPA is implementing a $1 billion modernisation programme for Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, which Dantsoho said should incorporate secure digital infrastructure and intelligent maintenance systems from the outset.
As PMAWCA president, he proposed regional cyber threat intelligence sharing, common data standards, performance benchmarking and stronger partnerships with technology providers and development agencies.
He also called for a regional working group on AI and data governance to promote cybersecurity, interoperability, skills development and data sovereignty.
Dantsoho said African ports could not adequately address cyber threats and operational inefficiencies through isolated national efforts because maritime routes and cargo corridors were interconnected.
He noted that disruptions at one port could affect shipping schedules and cargo destined for landlocked countries such as Niger, Chad and Mali.
“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,” he said.
He urged African port authorities to deepen cooperation and ensure that digital transformation delivers safer operations, more efficient trade and measurable economic benefits across the continent.
