The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has warned that rising cyberattacks pose a serious threat to African ports, international trade and economic stability, 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) and Vice President of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) for Africa, said the growing adoption of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in port operations must be matched with effective security measures.
Speaking at the African Ports Conference in Casablanca, Morocco, on Tuesday, he stressed that cyberattacks on ports were no longer merely information technology problems but threats capable of disrupting cargo movement, interrupting trade and undermining the reliability of international supply chains.
He cited cyber incidents involving South Africa’s Transnet, Japan’s Port of Nagoya and DP World terminals in Australia as examples of how attacks on digital infrastructure could disrupt maritime operations.
“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 chief warned that as ports become increasingly interconnected with shipping companies, terminal operators, government agencies and other service providers, weaknesses in one digital system could expose the entire port community to operational disruptions.
He said cybersecurity must be incorporated into port security arrangements from the outset, rather than treated as an afterthought following the introduction of digital platforms.
“AI can help a port work more intelligently, but cybersecurity protects its ability to work at all,” Dantsoho said.
He also cautioned that digital platforms designed to simplify trade procedures could become major vulnerabilities if adequate safeguards and backup arrangements were not established.
“A single window must not become a single point of failure,” he warned.
Nigeria has advanced its port digitalisation efforts through the National Single Window and a beta version of the Port Community System, platforms intended 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 to secure operational systems, cargo information, revenue collection and data exchange while ensuring that essential services could continue during cyber incidents.
He outlined five priorities for strengthening cybersecurity at Nigerian ports: integrating cyber protection into overall port security, separating operational technology from administrative networks, enforcing security standards for connected partners, testing recovery systems and training personnel to recognise and report threats.
He maintained that cybersecurity should receive the same attention as physical security, with measures aligned with relevant International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) requirements and International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards.
The NPA managing director also stressed the importance of preparing for disruptions before they occur, arguing that written recovery plans were insufficient without practical testing.
“A recovery plan is not proven because it exists. It is proven because it works,” he said.
Beyond cybersecurity, Dantsoho identified AI as an important tool for tackling longstanding challenges in African ports, including vessel waiting times, cargo delays, truck congestion, revenue leakages and unexpected equipment failures.
He said AI applications could improve vessel arrival forecasts, berth planning and pilotage scheduling, helping ports reduce waiting times and make more efficient use of their facilities.
The technology could also help coordinate truck appointments with yard capacity and vessel schedules, reducing congestion at port gates and storage yards.
On revenue assurance, he said AI could compare cargo declarations, actual cargo movements and applicable charges to identify discrepancies for investigation, while supporting targeted cargo-risk assessments and predictive maintenance of port equipment.
However, he cautioned against adopting technology without clear objectives, measurable targets and accountability.
“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.
Nigeria’s Port Reforms
Highlighting Nigeria’s experience, Dantsoho said the country was building the digital foundations required for smarter port operations through improved coordination, infrastructure modernisation and traffic management.
He recalled that cargo previously remained at Lagos ports for as long as three weeks, while the Apapa access road, designed to accommodate about 2,400 trucks daily, carried more than 7,000 trucks.
The resulting congestion increased delays, undermined reliability and affected trade, making coordinated reforms across port infrastructure, transport corridors and digital systems necessary.
According to him, the electronic Eto truck call-up system helped address congestion along the Apapa corridor, while the National Single Window and beta Port Community System were advancing digital coordination among key stakeholders.
Dantsoho said Nigeria’s recent port performance also reflected progress in its modernisation efforts.
He stated that Tin Can Island Port ranked tenth and Apapa Port twelfth 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.
Although he acknowledged that the country’s port transformation remained a work in progress, he said the experience demonstrated the importance of establishing reliable digital systems before expanding the use of AI.
“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 is also implementing a $1 billion modernisation programme for Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, which Dantsoho said presented an opportunity to incorporate secure digital infrastructure and intelligent maintenance systems into the renewal process.
He stressed that cybersecurity requirements should be built into infrastructure projects at the design stage rather than introduced after the systems had been deployed.
Dantsoho Seeks Regional Cooperation
Dantsoho said African ports could not effectively tackle cyber threats and operational inefficiencies through isolated national efforts because maritime routes, shipping schedules and cargo corridors were interconnected.
He noted that disruptions at one port could affect other ports and inland destinations, particularly along regional trade corridors.
“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.
He also called for deeper engagement with technology suppliers and development partners to establish common requirements for cybersecurity, interoperability, skills transfer and data sovereignty.
Dantsoho disclosed that the NPA had developed a port performance benchmarking framework in collaboration with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, expressing readiness to share its experience with other African ports.
He further proposed establishing a PMAWCA working group on artificial intelligence and data governance, with cybersecurity and digital resilience included in its responsibilities.
The NPA chief 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 proposed that progress on the initiatives be reported at PMAWCA’s next Annual Council in Sipopo, Malabo, while assuring member ports that Nigeria was prepared to share both its successes and the challenges encountered in its digital transformation.
Dantsoho also 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.
“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 said the future of African ports would depend on their ability to combine digital innovation with strong cybersecurity, regional collaboration and local expertise.
He maintained that the success of smart-port initiatives should be measured by reliable vessel operations, shorter cargo clearance times, lower trade costs, secure systems and improved revenue accountability.
“The smart African port will not be imported. We will build it together,” he said.
