The European Union (EU), in collaboration with regional and international partners, has launched a €12 million security and capacity-building initiative to enhance safety and operational efficiency in major seaports across West and Central Africa, including the Lagos Port Complex.
The new programme, SCOPE Africa (Securing Corridors, Ports and Exchanges in Western and Central Africa), was unveiled on Friday during a two-day seminar in Lomé, Togo. The event drew more than 100 stakeholders from government agencies, beneficiary ports, regional institutions, technical partners and private-sector operators.
The opening was attended by Minister Counsellor Stanislas Baba, Secretary-General of the Togolese Government.
A four-year plan to secure Africa’s maritime gateways
Funded by the EU and jointly implemented by Expertise France and Enabel, SCOPE Africa will run for four years. The project aims to:
- Strengthen compliance with international port-security and safety standards
- Boost emergency and crisis-response capabilities
- Improve professional capacity within port authorities
- Enhance regional cooperation along key maritime corridors
- Consolidate platforms for information sharing and coordination across the region
Ports benefiting from the programme
The initiative covers 10 major ports considered vital to Africa’s trade networks, including:
- Lagos (Nigeria)
- Lomé (Togo)
- Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)
- Dakar (Senegal)
- Douala and Kribi (Cameroon)
- Monrovia (Liberia)
- Praia (Cape Verde)
- Pointe-Noire (Republic of Congo)
- Libreville (Gabon)
These ports form strategic maritime and land corridors identified as priorities by the African Union, regional bodies and the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
Seminar highlights
According to the EU, the Lomé seminar explored the project’s operational pillars. It included a technical tour of the Autonomous Port of Lomé to demonstrate real-time safety and security practices.
A key highlight was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between SCOPE Africa and the Regional Maritime University in Accra, a move expected to deepen training, certification and capacity-building for port and maritime professionals across the region.
Regional commitment to safer, stronger ports
Participants reaffirmed support for the initiative and pledged to work together to improve the safety, resilience and competitiveness of the region’s port systems.
They noted that strengthening these maritime gateways would boost trade efficiency and enhance the long-term sustainability of West and Central Africa’s key economic corridors.
