MR. HIEN YACOUBA SIÉ EMBODIES THE VISION OF PRESIDENT ALASSANE OUATTARA

Activités portuaires Thursday 20 February 2025

Mr. Hien Yacouba SIÉ, Managing Director of the Abidjan Port Authority, perfectly embodies the vision of the President of the Republic, H.E. Alassane OUATTARA, in terms of economic and infrastructure development in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Head of State’s strategy is based on a clear ambition: positioning Côte d'Ivoire as a dynamic and competitive economic hub. In this regard, the Abidjan Port Authority plays a key role in realizing this vision, with Mr. Hien Yacouba SIÉ as a key player in this transformation.

Feedback on the Results of a Reformative Vision

Appointed in December 2010 as the head of the Abidjan Port Authority by President Alassane OUATTARA, Mr. Hien Yacouba SIÉ actually took office in April 2011, following the post-electoral crisis that shook Côte d'Ivoire.

Upon taking office, he found himself at the helm of a port with outdated infrastructure and superstructures. The financial situation of the company was far from ideal, compounded by a significant 54% drop in cargo traffic compared to 2010.

Various traffic indicators showed alarming declines, including 55.4% drop in vessel entries, 48.6% decrease in domestic cargo traffic, 60.3% slump in transshipment traffic, and 85.6% reduction in transit traffic.

Realizing the urgent need for a Herculean action to undertake, Mr. SIÉ embarked on a massive transformation effort to restore Abidjan Port’s prominence on the global maritime stage. He prioritized infrastructure reform and modernization to align with international standards, understanding that the port's revival was crucial to Côte d'Ivoire’s economic future. He then decided to eliminate the bottlenecks which impair Abidjan Port’s performances.

Thus began the implementation of a strategic vision aimed at making Abidjan Port a leading hub port on Africa’s Atlantic coast.

Four Pillars have been identified for the Repositioning Strategy as follows:

1. Upgrading and expanding existing infrastructure to meet the evolving demands of the sector.
2. Regaining and strengthening market share in transshipment and transit along the West African Coast.
3. Enhancing quality management.
4. Ensuring compliance with security and environmental standards

As regard the infrastructure aspect, the infrastructure revitalization program commenced with the refurbishing of existing aging structures to restore port operations to pre-crisis levels. With government support through national development plans (2012-2015 and 2016-2020), Several major projects were initiated by the Top Management of Abidjan Port Authority in order to compensate for the identified inadequacies.

with respect to port infrastructure, several projects have been implemented from 2012 to 2013. These include:

Construction of a new pier at the Fishing Terminal; Widening and deepening of the Vridi Canal; Creation of 40 hectares of industrial land through reclamation in the Vridi-Biétry lagoon area; Development of a second container terminal; Establishment of a new Ro-Ro Terminal; Modernization of the mineral terminal; Repair of the quay wall the of Bulk Terminal; Construction of a new Grain Terminal.

Logistically, the operational fleet (vehicles, mooring boats, etc.) was upgraded and regularly renewed, significantly improving vessel handling efficiency.

Note: all the works of high quality have been carried out within the time limit allowed.

Quite rightly this huge port development program has been achieved by Mr Hien Yacouba SIE Managing Director, as an Orchestra Conductor, who was awarded the title of Commander in the National order by the State of Côte d’Ivoire on February 17, 2019 during the inauguration of the widened and deepened Vridi Canal.

In addition to modernizing port infrastructure, the top executive of Abidjan Port Authority also focused on other equally important reforms.

Financial Reforms

Financial restructuring was another key focus, with reinforced internal controls, reduced non-productive expenses, and increased revenues. These efforts led to steady revenue growth from 2013 onwards.

The financial rating agency Bloomfield Investment Corporation recognized these reforms early on, awarding the Abidjan Port Authority a “BBB-” long-term and “B” short-term rating with a positive outlook in March 2013. By 2024, the agency upgraded the PAA’s rating to “AA” long-term and “A1” short-term with stable prospects for 2024-2025. This rating enables Mr Hien Yacouba SIE and his team to raise funds on financial markets for the development of Abidjan port.

Safety and Security.

Although Abidjan Port had been ISPS-certified since 2004, significant investments were made to further enhance security and comply with international standards. As a result, U.S. Coast Guard authorities reinstated the port on their whitelist of safe and compliant international ports through the Port Security Advisory.

The PAA’s Managing Director was also keen to provide quality service to ships and cargo in compliance with international standards. Therefore, he involved his staff in this process.

Certificate compliance

Additionally, sustained efforts were made over the years and led to the improvement of processes through certification audits carried out by AFAQ AFNOR.  Certificates were renewed as follows: 

• ISO 9001 :2015 – Quality Management System
• ISO 14001 :2015 – Environmental Management System
• ISPS Code Certification – Maritime and Port Facility Security
• ISO 27001:2022 – Information Security Management System (ISMS)

Commercially, in 2011, port traffic had declined by 54% compared to 2010, with total cargo throughput at 16,642,542 million tonnes. However, thanks to efforts understaken by Mr Hien Yacouba SIE together with the members of Abidjan Port Community through proactive engagement with partners and stakeholders, traffic rebounded. Several marketing missions were launched with partners and clients to regain lost traffics. 

The implementation of all these commercial missions led to a steady growth of the overall cargo traffic which increased from 16,642,542 million tonnes in 2011 to 34,750,000 million tonnes in 2023.

The container sector also experienced a significant growth, recording 1.23 million TEUs in 2023, placing Abidjan Port among the selected ports handling over one million TEUs annually.

Human Ressources

In 2011, a workforce assessment identified gaps in technical expertise, leading to recruitment initiatives to fill essential roles, such as port supervisors and pilots.

Cooperation

On the international stage, Abidjan Port significantly strengthened inter-port cooperation. In June 2015, Mr. SIÉ was elected Vice President of the Africa-Europe region of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) in Hamburg, Germany. Additionally, in May 2013, he was appointed President of the Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) during its 36th annual meeting in Conakry, Guinea.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ABIDJAN PORT IN THE IVORIAN ECONOMY

Thanks to these investments and efforts, Abidjan Port has been able to play its role as a critical economic engine for Côte d'Ivoire by facilitating:

• A significant share
• A significant share of sea borne external trade volume
• Enhanced customs revenue collection ;
• A thriving industrial sector generating over 50 billion CFA francs in revenue in the port area
• Promoting a formal manufacturing industry in Côte d’Ivoire

 

RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS

Abidjan Port’s exceptional performance has earned it numerous accolades, including:

• The National Excellence Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Transport Sector (September 2023); granted by His Excellency Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic
• The 2024 Economic and Financial Performance Award (October 2024); by the Ivorian Minister of – State Portfolio and Public Companies Mr Moussa SANOGO
• The Best Infrastructure Project Award by the Project Management Institute Côte d’Ivoire (November 2024);
• The Best Import-Export Traffic Performance Award (2023);
• The Best Container Traffic Performance Award (TEU/2023).
• The Best Transit Traffic (integration of subregional economies)

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Building on these achievements, the PAA is now focused on further enhancing operational efficiency and competitiveness with the implementation of projects included in the 4th master plan. Emphasis will be put on the  following:

• Improved port accessibility;
• Decongestion of port and peri-port areas;
• Strengthened connectivity with production and consumption zones in Côte d’Ivoire and the hinterland (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger);
• Development of port expansion reserves.