The project "Securing Corridors, Ports, and Exchanges in Western and Central Africa" (SCOPE Africa), funded by the European Union under the Neighborhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument, will be implemented by a consortium led by Expertise France in partnership with the Belgian cooperation agency, Enabel. The project aims to strengthen intra-African connectivity by supporting the safety and security of strategic ports in West and Central Africa, in order to facilitate trade and transport and thus contribute to the sustainable economic development of the region

The duration of the action is 48 months, starting in February 2025. The target regions are West and Central Africa, with 10 priority ports of intervention: Praia (Cape Verde), Dakar (Senegal), Monrovia (Liberia), Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), Lomé (Togo), Lagos (Nigeria), Douala and Kribi (Cameroon), Libreville (Gabon), and Pointe-Noire (Republic of Congo).

The intensification of maritime trade requires a strengthening of the interface between sea and land, both because of its economic importance and the resulting security and safety requirements. In West and Central Africa, port infrastructure plays a fundamental role in transporting people and goods to landlocked countries, given that nearly 90% of trade destined for the continent is transported by sea. With annual growth of 7% in maritime trade, Africa is attracting growing interest from international economic actors, both for its potential and for its vulnerabilities.

This dynamic is accompanied by major risks, which can have a significant impact on human safety and local and regional economies in the event of disruption to port activities. These risks include industrial accidents—such as the disaster that occurred in the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020—as well as terrorist threats exacerbated by regional geopolitical instability. In addition, ports, as strategic entry and exit points, are exploited by criminal organizations for the trafficking of illicit and dangerous goods.

In light of these challenges, strengthening port governance is imperative. Rigorous and coordinated management ensures the implementation of organizational measures that guarantee the safety and security of commercial operations in a sustainable and effective manner. These infrastructures are strategic hubs connecting maritime routes to hinterlands, making their safety and operational performance essential to regional stability.

With this in mind, the European Union plays a key role in providing technical, diplomatic, and logistical support to initiatives aimed at improving the safety, security, and efficiency of ports in the region. Through its Global Gateway - Strategic Corridors strategy, it plans to invest in strengthening strategic transport corridors in order to facilitate trade and promote regional integration.

As part of this initiative, SCOPE Africa will pursue three main objectives:

·       Specific objective 1: Strengthen compliance with international norms and standards in the field of port security and safety in order to optimize the flow of trade and transport while supporting environmental resilience in target ports.

·       Specific objective 2: Strengthen the capacity of target ports to prevent and respond to security and safety incidents in order to facilitate trade and transport operations.

·       Specific objective 3: Strengthen regional structures and dialogue on port security and safety in order to contribute to the development of strategic corridors.