PORT COOPERATION: CONAKRY PORT AUTHORITY AT TIIE SCHOOL OF EXPERTISE OF ABIDJAN PORT AUTHORITY

Visite de travail Thursday 14 December 2023

On 12 to 13 October 2023, the Top Management of Abidjan Port Authority (PAA) received a delegation of the Board of Directors of Conakry Port Authority (PAC) from the Republic of Guinea, led by Mr Eric Benjamin COLE.

As part of a benchmarking mission to Abidjan, the delegation was received, on 12 October 2023, by Mr. Hien Yacouba SIÉ, Managing Director of PAA. On this occasion, the head of the delegation justified their visit by their willingness to draw inspiration from the experience of Abidjan Port Authority, precisely as regards the collaboration between PAA and the operators of the Port platform.

According to Mr. COLE, member of PAC’s Board of Directors and 1st Vice Chairman of the Guinea’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Craftsmanship, the working visit was also aimed at better understanding the conceptual foundations of PAA’s regulation and the organizational and functional implications of its legal status.

The Guinean delegation also took a special interest in PAA’s technical resources in fulfilling its regulatory missions of the Abidjan Port platform, precisely, the management of Abidjan Port’s Harbour Master office within the framework of a Port concession, namely in terms of security and safety.

Thus, the head of the Guinean delegation took the opportunity to congratulate the Abidjan Port Authority for the upgrading works of infrastructure which contributes to the present influence of Abidjan Port in West and Central Africa and makes it a reference for the Ports in these regions.

The PAA's Managing Director expressed his appreciation for the rapprochement between the two Ports and indicated that this approach of PAC aims at reinforcing the cooperation links between the Ports members of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA). He then added that his institution is willing to share his rich experience in the management of Abidjan Port platform based on the results related to ten years of successful works and reforms.

A working session with the members of the Executive Commitee of PAA under the chairmanship of Colonel Emmanuel COFFI, Director of Maritime Operations Security and Environment (DOMSE) took place during the first day of this benchmarking mission.

The parties held long discussions on the legal status off PAA and PAC, with a special emphasis on the implementation of Port regulation. The representative of PAA underlined the Port concession mode implemented by Abidjan Port and which has remained a successful model in the region. The Guinean delegation expressed its interest for the type of concession, and affirmed its intention to implement it in Conakry Port.

On Friday 13 October 2023, the delegation of PAC’s Board of Directors made a tour of the facilities of Abidjan Port platform. This immersion enabled the delegation to discover most of the infrastructure, superstructure and equipment which establish competitiveness of this leading Port of the West African Coast.

At the end of this working visit, the delegation expressed its appreciation for all that has been learned from this benchmarking mission.