The adoption of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in port operations could expose African countries to significant economic disruptions unless cybersecurity is treated as a core part of maritime security, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority has warned. Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, who is also President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa, called for stronger cybersecurity measures, regional intelligence sharing and common digital standards across African ports in a statement on Wednesday.
Dantsoho described cyberattacks on port infrastructure as threats that go beyond information technology problems, capable of interrupting trade, disrupting cargo movement and undermining the reliability of maritime supply chains. He cited real-world examples of the damage such attacks can cause. In July 2021, a cyberattack on South Africa's Transnet forced the country's container terminals to declare force majeure. In 2023, cyber incidents disrupted the Port of Nagoya in Japan and DP World terminals across Australia for days, he said. These incidents demonstrated that cyberattacks were interruptions to trade, not merely IT problems.
Dantsoho stressed that the digital transformation of African ports must be accompanied by adequate security arrangements to protect operational systems, cargo information, revenue collection and data exchange among port stakeholders. While artificial intelligence can improve efficiency and decision-making, he said cybersecurity remains fundamental to ensuring ports can continue to function during attempts to compromise their systems. He warned against allowing digital platforms designed to simplify trade procedures to become single points of failure capable of disrupting entire port communities, noting that a single window must not become a single point of failure.
Nigeria has recently advanced its port digitalisation efforts through the implementation of the National Single Window and a beta version of the Port Community System, which are intended to improve coordination among the Nigeria Customs Service, terminal operators, shipping lines and regulatory agencies. For Nigerian businesses and traders, cybersecurity gaps in port operations could disrupt cargo movement, delay shipments and increase costs through trade interruptions caused by successful cyberattacks on digital infrastructure.