Monrovia, Liberia – Port directors and maritime security specialists from fourteen African nations have started the 10th Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) Harbor Masters and Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs) Network Conference in Liberia as a means of addressing the continent’s port safety and security issues.
Delegates from all around West and Central Africa are gathering for the high-level meeting, which was formally launched in Monrovia on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, to address important topics related to port security, marine safety, and best practices in port operations.
The National Port Authority (NPA) of Liberia, led by Managing Director Sekou Dukuly, is hosting the conference, which has as its topic “Navigating the Challenges of Port Safety and Security.”
The gathering is more than just a regular conference, the NPA Managing Director stated at the opening of the conference at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town. He also reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to port security, marine safety, and regional collaboration.
“We see this event as an important opportunity to promote more integration among port authorities in the area and to re-establish our strong presence within the (PMAWC) community,” he said.
He added that the National Port Authority of Liberia is reaffirming its commitment to participate as a significant participant in the yearly general conferences and various sector meetings of the PMAWCA. “We have encouraged the participation of junior marine officers and prioritized the involvement of all our port facility security officers (PFSOs) from across the country,” Director Sekou said.
According to Randolph Natt, Deputy Minister for Land, Rail, and Transport at the Ministry of Transport (MOT), safety and security at different ports include safeguarding the superstructure, infrastructure, commodities and services, and above all the workforce. Ports are essential nodes in international logistics networks, not merely transit hubs in today’s globalized economy, according to Deputy Minister Natt.
He added that international organizations are placing a greater emphasis on safe and secure port operations as critical success factors, and contemporary supply chains place a higher priority on dependability than on speed and cost.
“It is evident that a port’s ability to combine safety and security is a key factor in ensuring dependable services. These are essential elements of our port’s infrastructure and human resource capabilities,” Natt said.
Speaking as well, PMAWCA Secretary General Jeans Marie Koffi explained that the yearly conference continues to be the most important forum for directors to coordinate, exchange experiences, and create cooperative plans for the safe and robust administration of ports.
“We’ve made steady progress in putting our 2024–2026 Strategic Plan into action since our most recent meeting, which took place in Praia, Cabo Verde, on July 1–3, 2024. Our common goal of a safe, competitive, and connected port space in West and Central Africa that complies with the worldwide ISPS Code while also being sensitive to the particular difficulties faced by our area is reflected in this plan,” Koffi stated.
According to him, ports, as strategic gateways to national economies, face increasingly complex, multidimensional, and often transnational risks; adding that the PMAWCA Network must remain proactive, united, and methodical in its approach.
The PMAWCA Secretary General highlighted several high-priority issues that require port directors’ full attention, including the energy transition, which necessitates quick infrastructure adaptation to safely handle next-generation vessels. The presence of Private Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) on board vessels that call at ports, raising important issues of coordination, sovereignty, and general risk management. Ballast water management and hull cleaning with their effects on the environment and human health, and the need for standardized and strengthened controls throughout all of our ports, among others.
