WAF Shipping Focus: Week 43
- Agwe Logistics Solutions
- Oct 26
- 4 min read
The Autonomous Port of Lomé (PAL) has solidified its standing among global port platforms, moving up one spot to rank 92nd in the 2025 classification by Lloyd’s List, the world reference for maritime transport. With traffic of 2.06 million TEUs in 2024, an 8% increase from 1.9 million TEUs the previous year, Lomé remains the only port in sub-Saharan Africa to feature in the global Top 100. It ranks as the fifth-busiest port on the African continent, trailing only Tanger Med, Port Said, Durban, and Damietta. Lloyd’s List analysts attributed the advance primarily to the growth of transhipment, a segment Lomé has successfully developed through strategic partnerships and efficient port logistics. The Lomé deep-sea port benefits from a draft that allows it to accommodate the largest vessels operating on the continent, thereby enhancing its competitiveness against rivals such as Durban and Abidjan. This progress comes amid a global environment marked by an 8.1% rebound in container traffic and the reorganization of international supply chains.
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Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ministry of Transport to extend the railway line from Tema Port to the Dawa Industrial Enclave in Greater Accra, aiming to improve cargo and worker transportation. The President said the project should proceed while the Mpakadan Inland Port on Volta Lake is under construction. Once completed, the railway will transport goods from Tema Port to the Dawa Industrial Enclave and provide commuting options for workers from the Ashaiman enclave. President Mahama gave the directive during a meeting with organised labour, led by TUC Secretary General Joshua Ansah, to address salary arrears in the rail sector. He confirmed that the Finance Minister would be informed to allocate funds to clear outstanding salaries. The President also announced that over a hundred railway workers would be transferred from the Western Region to Tema to manage the Tema-Mpakadan line, while retirees would receive due compensation. He instructed that dismantled old railway tracks be handled by railway workers, with metals sent directly to factories for recycling.
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Billions spent on new terminals and trade corridors are fuelling a fierce rivalry between Tema and Abidjan to control West Africa’s gateway to the Sahel. Trade flows are shifting. Two giants of the Gulf of Guinea – Port of Tema (Ghana) and Port of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) – are locked in a high-stakes contest to become the logistics hub for land-locked Sahelian economies. As the Sahel hinterland becomes increasingly vital to West Africa’s maritime trade, Accra and Abidjan are pouring billions into their respective gateway ports. Tema, the Ghanaian export-import hub, is laying down tracks and berths; the veteran port in Abidjan has a dominant share of its home economy and regional transit flows. Which one is truly primed to capture the Sahel’s freight business? Tema: Fresh momentum, big ambitions Tema handles around 18.6 million tonnes of goods (2023) and receives approximately 1,650 ship-calls annually. According to the operators, the main terminal consortium – Meridian Port Services (comprising the former Bolloré Ports operations under AGL, and APM Terminals) together with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.
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The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has disclosed that the Federal Government has commenced the procurement process for the modernisation of seaports outside Lagos as part of efforts to ensure balanced development across the nation’s maritime gateways. Oyetola stated this in Lagos at the 2025 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Nigeria Conference. The conference was themed ‘Enhancing logistics and transport for a sustainable blue economy in Nigeria.’ Represented by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, the minister said the ongoing port modernisation drive is aimed at upgrading infrastructure, improving cargo handling efficiency, and expanding capacity to meet global standards. Oyetola stressed that the government is also working closely with all stakeholders to achieve a paperless, technology-driven port environment that enhances efficiency, reduces turnaround time, and curbs corruption. “As part of this commitment, the Federal Government has approved a $1bn modernisation project for the Lagos ports, a landmark.
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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it’s new digital verification platform will curb vehicle smuggling, enhance transparency, and strengthen accountability in the automobile importation process. The initiative, known as the Customs Verification Management System (CVMS), was officially unveiled, 20 October 2025, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi. Adeniyi described the initiative as a milestone in the Service’s ongoing modernisation agenda, noting that it closes long-standing loopholes in the vehicle clearance process. “For years, verification of imported vehicles relied on fragmented and outdated methods that left room for misinformation, fraud, and revenue leakages. The launch of this system is another score on the board for our bold transformation agenda.” CGC Adeniyi said. He explained that the CVMS was developed in collaboration with the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) and local technical experts to provide a secure and transparent verification process accessible to all Nigerians.
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The Federal Government has said it is working closely with all stakeholders in the maritime industry to achieve a paperless, technology-driven logistics and port environment that enhances efficiency, reduces turnaround time and eliminates corruption. The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, stated this at the 2025 national conference and yearly general meeting of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria, saying the present administration is committed to port modernisation and digitalisation. Oyetola, who was represented by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, said that as part of this commitment, the Federal Government has approved a $1 billion modernisation project for the ports in Lagos, a landmark initiative designed to upgrade infrastructure, improve cargo handling, and expand capacity to meet global standards. In addition, he said that the procurement process has commenced for similar modernisation projects at ports outside Lagos, to ensure balanced development across our maritime gateways.
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