Africa port digitalisation diagnosis kicks off

We were delighted to bring the African ports community together online last week Thursday, when IAPH members as well as additional ports from the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA), the Indian Ocean Ports Association and the Union of Port Authorities of North Africa attended the kick-off of the project ‘Port digitalisation: diagnostic of the status of current IT systems and policy impediments in African ports’.

Eighty African port representatives listening in English, French and Portuguese heard opening remarks from the main sponsors of the project, namely the World Bank Group, the African Union, the Africa Transport Policy Program and IAPH’s vice-president for Africa, Michael Luguje as well as from the secretaries-general of all the associations. Mark Wootton of Royal Haskoning DHV then explained the initial project remit which will cover 39 ports from 31 countries of the African continent, with IAPH Data Collaboration Committee chairman Pascal Ollivier and IAPH communications director Victor Shieh moderating a very engaged and interactive chat and Q&A. The project will combine online surveys with on-site meetings at the ports. The work is also a follow up of the joint IAPH-World Bank ClosingTheGaps exercise which identified digitalisation as a key area to improve overall global port infrastructure, especially in regions such as Africa.
Source: IAPH