Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA); Mohammed Bello Koko has raised the alarm that the high cost implication of decarbonisation and greener shipping may weigh down ports in Africa.
He made the observation on Tuesday at the 42nd Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) and the 17th Managing Directors’ Round Table Council, which is holding in Luanda, Angola.
The theme of the week-long programme is: “The Role of Ports against the Effects of the Climate Change”.
The managing director of the NPA, Bello Koko who moderated the session on “Involvement of West and Central African ports in reducing carbon effects and options for energy conversion: Status and Perspectives”, observed that as good as decarbonisation is, the cost implication on African nations, especially their ports is huge.
The session witnessed presentations from ports of about six countries and some multinational port and terminal operators.
The six ports included: Port of Luanda (Angola), Port of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Port of Douala (Cameroun), Port of Gabon, Port of Dakar (Senegal).
The presentations dwelt largely on the challenges that they are facing, and the port management also opened up on what they are doing to tackle emission and pollution. Specifically, they dwelt on how their ports are reducing carbon emission and options of alternative energy sources that are being explored.
After the ports had made their presentations, which dwelt on what they were doing to mitigate the effects of carbon emission on their respective operations and the larger environment, questions were taken from participants who came from across Africa and outside.
While reacting to questions from participants about peculiarities of African ports, the Managing Director of the NPA acknowledged that there is almost a uniformity in the challenges that the countries face as they contend with carbon emission and pollution, especially within their operational areas and their environment.
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According to him, the effect of emission from haulage trucks is a common phenomenon in most of the African ports.
The MD of NPA however acknowledged that the ports in Africa have funding constraints and that adding the demand of decarbonisation will weigh the ports down.
Giving their peculiarities, Bello Koko opined that it will be proper for the global community to understand the burden that decarbonisation will put on the finances of African ports.
He submitted that African countries must first ‘carbonise’ before decarbonizing, adding that “a lot of resources will be needed by African countries to decarbonize”.
He concluded that African countries needed assistance to actualize decarbonisation.
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