At the ongoing World Ports Conference in Kobe, Japan, port professionals drawn from 64 countries have endorsed the election of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, as Vice-President of the International Association for Ports and Harbours (IAPH).
Coming on the heels of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, Dantsoho’s election as Vice-President of the IAPH stands as a testament to Nigeria’s growing influence in the comity of maritime nations.
The IAPH is a non-governmental organization (NGO) headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. In November 1955, about 100 world port leaders gathered in Los Angeles to announce the creation of the IAPH. Over the past six decades, the association has developed into a global alliance of ports, representing about 190 ports and 167 port-related businesses across 89 countries as of December 6, 2024.
Member ports of the IAPH collectively handle well over 60% of the world’s seaborne trade and over 60% of global container traffic. The organization aims to be the global trade association of choice for port authorities and operators, representing their interests at the regulatory level within bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the World Customs Organization (WCO), the International Standards Organization (ISO), and other global alliances, including the Global Maritime Forum and the World Economic Forum.
Additionally, the IAPH holds consultative status and works on behalf of ports with several United Nations bodies such as the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the UN Global Compact.
Middle-Belt Times 