Why AI without cybersecurity could undermine African ports, trade —Dantsoho

Although AI can improve efficiency and decision-making in port operations, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Abubakar Dantsoho, cybersecurity remains fundamental to ensuring ports can continue to function during attempted system compromise, writes TOLA ADENUBI. Excerpts:

The growing threat of cyberattacks to port operations, international trade and economic stability has prompted the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, to call for stronger cybersecurity measures, regional intelligence sharing and common digital standards across African ports.

Dantsoho, who is also the president of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), warned recently that the increasing adoption of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in port operations could expose African countries to significant economic disruptions if cybersecurity is not treated as an integral part of maritime security.

Speaking at the African Ports Conference in Casablanca, Morocco, Dantsoho cited cyber incidents involving South Africa’s Transnet, the Port of Nagoya in Japan and DP World terminals in Australia as examples of how attacks on digital infrastructure could disrupt port operations and international commerce.

“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 managing director stressed that the digital transformation of African ports must be accompanied by adequate security arrangements to protect operational systems, cargo information, revenue collection and the exchange of data among port stakeholders.

“AI can help a port work more intelligently, but cybersecurity protects its ability to work at all,” Dantsoho said.

Dantsoho, who is the vice president of IAPH African Region, warned that the growing interconnection of port systems, government agencies, shipping companies, terminal operators and other service providers could create vulnerabilities if appropriate safeguards were not implemented.

Dantsoho particularly cautioned against allowing digital platforms designed to simplify trade procedures to become single points of failure capable of disrupting entire port communities. “A single window must not become a single point of failure,” he said.

Nigeria has recently advanced its port digitalisation efforts through the implementation of the National Single Window and a better version of the Port Community System, which are intended to improve coordination among Customs, terminal operators, shipping lines and regulatory agencies.

However, Dantsoho maintained that the benefits of such platforms would depend on the ability of port authorities and their partners to protect the systems from cyber threats while ensuring that essential operations could continue during disruptions.

He outlined five principles for strengthening cybersecurity at Nigerian ports, including integrating cyber protection into broader port security arrangements, separating operational technology from administrative networks, establishing security requirements for connected partners, testing recovery systems and training personnel to identify and report threats.

He said cybersecurity should be treated with the same seriousness as physical port security, with measures aligned with relevant International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) requirements and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) standards. “Treat cybersecurity as part of port security, alongside physical security and relevant ISPS and IMO requirements,” he said.

The NPA boss also called for a clear separation between operational systems and administrative networks to reduce the risk of an attack on one system spreading to critical port infrastructure. He urged port authorities to ensure that terminal operators, technology providers and other connected partners complied with agreed cybersecurity standards.

“Require connected partners to meet agreed security standards,” he said, adding that ports must prepare tested backups, rehearse recovery procedures and establish practical alternatives for maintaining operations when digital systems fail.

Dantsoho emphasised that having a written recovery plan was insufficient without evidence that it could work under real operating conditions. “A recovery plan is not proven because it exists. It is proven because it works,” he said.

He further identified human capacity as an important component of cybersecurity, noting that port employees must be equipped to recognise suspicious activities, report threats and respond appropriately to security incidents.

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The NPA managing director said the success of digital transformation would depend not only on acquiring technology, but also on developing the expertise and institutional discipline required to operate and protect it.

Beyond cybersecurity, Dantsoho said artificial intelligence could help African ports address longstanding operational challenges, including vessel waiting times, cargo delays, inefficient truck movements, revenue leakages and unexpected equipment failures. He argued that the value of a smart port should be measured by the improvements it delivers to port users and national economies rather than the volume of technology deployed.

“A smart African port is not defined by how much technology it buys. It is defined by the performance it delivers. How quickly are vessels served? How long does cargo remain? What does it cost to move a container? Are systems reliable, and is revenue properly accounted for? “These are the measures that give meaning to innovation,” he said.

Dantsoho said AI applications could improve vessel arrival forecasts, berth planning and pilotage scheduling, thereby reducing uncertainty and waiting times for vessels. He also identified opportunities to integrate truck appointments with yard capacity and vessel schedules, allowing port gates, storage yards and quays to operate as a coordinated system instead of functioning as separate points of congestion.

Highlighting Nigeria’s experience, Dantsoho said the country was laying the foundations for more intelligent port operations through investments in digital coordination, infrastructure modernisation and improved traffic management. He explained that the NPA oversees seven ports across the country, from Lagos to Calabar, each with different infrastructure, cargo profiles and levels of digital maturity. According to him, these differences make it necessary to develop solutions that reflect the operational realities of individual ports rather than impose a uniform approach without considering local requirements.

He recalled that cargo previously remained at Lagos ports for as long as three weeks, while the Apapa access road, designed to accommodate approximately 2,400 trucks daily, carried more than 7,000 trucks.

The resulting congestion undermined reliability, increased delays and diverted trade, highlighting the need for coordinated reforms across port infrastructure, transport corridors and digital systems.

Dantsoho said the NPA began by addressing fundamental operational challenges before moving towards more advanced technologies. “The Eto electronic truck call-up system helped address corridor gridlock. This year, we went live with the National Single Window and a beta version of the Port Community System, advancing digital coordination among Customs, terminals, shipping lines and regulators,” he stated.

He said the reforms were already producing encouraging results, pointing to Nigeria’s performance in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index 2025. According to him, Tin Can Island Port ranked tenth and Apapa Port twelfth among the world’s most improved ports in the index released in June 2026. He added that Nigeria’s cargo throughput increased 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, Dantsoho said the experience demonstrated the importance of establishing reliable digital foundations before deploying AI on a wider scale. “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 stressed.

The NPA is also implementing a $1 billion modernisation programme for Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, a development Dantsoho said presented an opportunity to incorporate intelligent maintenance systems and secure digital infrastructure into the country’s port renewal efforts.

He stressed that cybersecurity considerations should be integrated into infrastructure projects from the design stage rather than introduced after systems had been deployed.

The NPA managing director said African ports could not effectively address cybersecurity threats and operational inefficiencies through isolated national efforts because maritime trade routes, shipping schedules and cargo corridors were interconnected.

He explained that disruptions affecting one port could have consequences for other ports and inland destinations, particularly along major regional trade corridors.

As PMAWCA president, Dantsoho proposed four priorities for strengthening regional cooperation among member ports.

The first is the sharing of cyber threat intelligence through designated contacts, timely alerts and the exchange of lessons from security incidents.

The second is the development of common data standards that would enable different port platforms to exchange essential information, even where the systems themselves are not identical.

The third involves benchmarking port performance and strengthening professional training through regional cooperation.

He disclosed that the NPA had developed a port performance benchmarking framework in collaboration with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and expressed the authority’s readiness to share the experience with other African ports.

The fourth priority is deeper engagement with technology suppliers and development partners to establish common requirements covering cybersecurity, interoperability, skills transfer and data sovereignty.

Dantsoho also proposed the establishment of a PMAWCA working group on artificial intelligence and data governance, with cybersecurity and digital resilience incorporated into its responsibilities.

He called on each member port to identify one high-impact AI pilot project supported 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 said progress on the proposed initiatives should be reported at PMAWCA’s next Annual Council in Sipopo, Malabo, while assuring member ports that the NPA was prepared to share both its successes and the challenges encountered in Nigeria’s digital transformation.