IAPH to chart path to ports efficiency in Africa

All is set for stakeholders in the maritime sector to gather in Abuja and chart path to ports efficiency in the continent.
   
The forthcoming Africa regional conference of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) scheduled to hold in Abuja from 17th to 19th September, 2018, would provide a veritable platform for ports authorities and management to share experiences and insights on how to improve operations.
   
The conference, themed: “African Ports and Hinterland Connectivity”, will be declared open by President Muhammadu Buhari, under the chairmanship of Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalmi Abubakar. 

For ports in the region to attain their potentials, the deployment of multimodal means of transportation which ensures that cargoes are moved without delay and to the satisfaction of clients has become a compulsory factor.”

This is the first time Nigeria will be hosting the conference in the 62 years existent of the association.
 
She said: “In August 2017, I was elected VP (Africa Region). Given that the IAPH was then a 61 -year old association formed to promote the global interest of ports worldwide and build strong member relationships where ideas on international best practices would be shared.

I saw the election as an opportunity to offer quality representation to the continent and collaborate with colleagues across countries to position the maritime sector in Africa for better efficiency.”
 
Stakeholders from trade corridors to participate includes: The Lagos-Abidjan, Walvis Bay Corridor Group, Antwerp Port Authority, Guangzhou Port Authority and administrators from African Ports such as Transnet National Port Authority (South Africa), Kenya Ports Authority, Douala Port Authority (Cameroon), Nigerian Ports Authority, Cotonou Port Authority (Benin), Abidjan Port Authority (Cote d’lvoire), Dakar Port Authority (Senegal), Tanger Med Port (Morocco), and Port of Alexandria (Egypt) among others.
   
They will be joined by experts from international organisations like the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and African Development Bank (AFDB), who will share latest ideas and best practices that can enhance ports operations.