A delegation from the Port of Antwerp visited the port of Cotonou to provide expertise in order to modernise the port and make it futureproof. The port of Cotonou has a strategic importance in the region, as it is one of the main gateway ports for the sub-region, in particular the countries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.
This is part of a port community visit on a trade mission to West-Africa, including Benin and Nigeria, in line with its strategy to maintain and further strengthen its market position in West Africa.
Out of all the ports in North-West Europe, Antwerp has the highest number of direct services to West Africa, resulting in a market share of nearly 50%. The annual volume of West African freight amounts to 15 million tonnes.
The port of Cotonou is the economic heart of Benin, handling an annual freight volume of around 11 million tonnes.
To further expand and strengthen this position, the government decided in 2018 to temporarily outsource the management of the port, so that a reformed and modernised port authority could fully compete with the surrounding ports.
Therefore the Benin government called upon the expertise of the Port of Antwerp and appointed Port of Antwerp International (PAI), the consultancy and investment subsidiary of Port of Antwerp.
Our ambition is to make the Port of Cotonou an innovative, secure and reliable logistics platform for international trade and ensure efficient management for sustainable socio-economic development in Benin and the sub-region,
…says Joris Thys, CEO Port Autonome de Cotonou.
The main task of PAI is to modernise the port authority in organisational terms, renovate the obsolescent facilities and prepare for and guide the expansion of the port.
In addition, several port professionals from Cotonou have come over to Antwerp for tailor-made trainings by APEC.
This training centre of the port of Antwerp organises training courses for maritime personnel worldwide in view of maximising the efficiency of port operations.
Our role as community builder goes further than our local port community. With our subsidiary PAI we aim to pass on our know-how and experience so as to further develop the worldwide network of our own port and to engage in a sustainable future for African ports. Our collaboration with Cotonou is a perfect example of this,
…noted Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp.
Port of Antwerp signed the agreements to enroll the management of the Port de Cotonou, in January 2018, as part of its strategy to solidify its position in West Africa.
