Dantsoho advocates stronger Port State control to improve regional maritime safety
By Maureen Aguta
Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has called for stronger regional maritime governance and enhanced collaboration among West and Central African countries to improve port efficiency, safety and global competitiveness.
Dantsoho made the call during the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Regional Workshop for Directors-General, Chief Executive Officers and Heads of Port State Control, where the Abuja MoU was officially launched.
The workshop, themed “Future-Ready Port State Control Regime: Leadership, People, Governance and Performance for Safer Maritime Systems,” was organised by the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control with support from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
According to the NPA boss, strengthening institutional capacity and harmonising regulatory standards across member states are critical to building safer, more efficient and internationally competitive maritime systems in the region.
He described the workshop as a landmark initiative that would deepen cooperation among maritime administrations while enhancing the effective implementation of Port State Control across the Abuja MoU region.
Dantsoho noted that improved governance, stronger institutions and sustained investment in human capacity development would position the region’s ports to meet evolving global shipping standards and attract greater international trade.
He commended the Lloyd’s Register Foundation for supporting the initiative, describing its partnership as a major contribution to ongoing efforts aimed at strengthening maritime institutions and improving safety oversight across West and Central Africa.
The NPA managing director also praised the leadership of the Abuja MoU, particularly its Chairman, Hon. Ebrima Sillah, Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure of The Gambia, and the Vice-Chairman, Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for providing strategic direction to the regional Port State Control regime.
He equally acknowledged the efforts of the Abuja MoU Secretariat, led by Captain Sunday Umoren, for driving initiatives aimed at improving compliance with international maritime conventions and promoting safer shipping operations within the sub-region.
Dantsoho expressed confidence that the resolutions of the workshop would strengthen cooperation among member states, improve regulatory performance and reinforce the Abuja MoU’s role in ensuring safer, more secure and environmentally sustainable maritime operations across West and Central Africa.
The Abuja Memorandum of Understanding serves as the regional framework for Port State Control, enabling member countries to inspect foreign vessels calling at their ports to ensure compliance with international maritime safety, security and environmental protection standards.
This version is structured in a newspaper style, with a stronger lead, tighter flow, improved attribution and emphasis on the broader significance of Dantsoho’s remarks for regional maritime governance and port competitiveness.