EU Launches €12m Project To Boost Security, Efficiency Across West and Central African Ports
Africa’s busiest sea corridors are set for a major security upgrade as the European Union and partners roll out a €12 million project aimed at transforming operations across key West and Central African ports.
The initiative, known as SCOPE Africa (Securing Corridors, Ports and Exchanges in Western and Central Africa), was officially launched in Lomé, Togo, where more than 100 stakeholders gathered to set the project in motion.
Financed by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France and Enabel over four years, the programme aims to significantly enhance safety, security, and overall performance in priority ports identified under the African Union and EU Global Gateway strategy.
Ports benefiting from the project include Lomé (Togo), Douala and Kribi (Cameroon), Praia (Cape Verde), Pointe-Noire (Congo), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Libreville (Gabon), Monrovia (Liberia), Lagos (Nigeria) and Dakar (Senegal).
Over two days, participants took part in panel discussions, technical sessions and debates designed to unpack SCOPE Africa’s core objectives, which include: strengthening compliance with international maritime standards, enhancing crisis response and management, training and professionalising port operators, and deepening regional cooperation, consolidating regional information and coordination platforms
A technical visit to the Autonomous Port of Lomé brought the conversations to life, providing delegates with firsthand experience of safety and security procedures in operation.
The seminar also featured a major milestone: the signing of an MoU between SCOPE Africa and the Regional Maritime University in Accra, a partnership that will boost training and professional development across the sector.
Participants closed the event with a pledge to work collaboratively to improve port security, resilience and competitiveness, a move expected to strengthen maritime and land corridors that millions depend on for trade across West and Central Africa.
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